Supporting Student Success: October 2015

Dear Friend,

It’s been a great start to the new school year. The AEF has welcomed four new board members, embarked on our middle school volleyball program, and given over 70 Adopt A Classroom donations. In fact, on Oct. 1, I distributed 28 at a variety of schools and grade levels.

The entire AEF congratulates ASTI for becoming a National Blue Ribbon School. This is award is highly competitive. Kudos to ASTI.

All the good work the AEF does costs. We greatly appreciate your generosity and continued support.

Sincerely,
Bill Sonneman

AEF News

AEF welcomes new board members!
AEF is thrilled to welcome four new board members: Daniel Chin, Danielle London, Margie Sherratt and Todd Wellnitz. All bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the board. Dr. Chin is an Alameda optometrist who brings experience in business, administration/management, finances and organizational expertise. Danielle London is an Alameda County Assistant District Attorney with a strong background in the arts and social services in addition to law. Margie Sherratt is a former counselor, principal and AUSD school board member who brings extensive experience as a long time educator who remains committed to advocating for the children of Alameda. Todd Wellnitz is president of Wellguard Insurance Solutions. He brings expertise in financial and project management, marketing and entrepreneurialism. We are excited about our new board members!

Sweet deal from Gelati Pop!
AEF received a donation check from Gelati Pop, a new ice cream parlor at Alameda South Shore Center, on Sept. 17th. In between sampling delicious gelato and sorbetto flavors, owners Stella Phan and Nicky Do presented us with a check for $500. The funds will be used to support innovative educational opportunities for Alameda public school students across the Island. Be sure to stop by and say thanks…and, of course, treat yourself to a delicious frozen treat!

Raiders Tickets Available
Rotarian Day at the Raiders is Dec. 6th when the Raiders take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Our friends at Alameda Rotary are selling tickets for the discounted price of $75 ($85 value). Tickets are prime lower level sideline seats and include an exclusive tailgate party and stocking stuffers from the Raiders. Click here to purchase tickets or for more information. All proceeds benefit AEF’s Adopt A Classroom program.

What’s New in AEF Programs

Adopt A Classroom
Speed records were broken last week when we made 30 Adopt A Classroom presentations in one day. In September we presented 43 teachers with $500 checks to support their classrooms. Help us support teachers most in need by making an “open” adoption today! One hundred percent of your $500 donation will go to the teacher who will use the funds for special projects, to purchase materials or fund field trips. Check out our Adopt A Classroom photos here and please consider donating today!

We are able to donate 100% of each gift to the teacher thanks to our generous Adopt A Classroom underwriters, including our major sponsor, the Alameda Rotary Club. Other sponsors include Alameda Point Partners, Catellus, Tim Lewis Communities, and Wellguard Insurance Solutions

Where in the World is California?
That’s what 3,400 K – 5th grade students will be finding out – musically – on Oct. 23rd when AEF hosts the Oakland Symphony’s Young People’s Concert. This concert will showcase a variety of nontraditional and traditional music shared by the community that calls California home. This concert is offered FREE for Alameda K-5 public school students and is made possible by generous grants from the Anonymous Fund and The Shuler-Heimburger Family Fund, both at the East Bay Community Foundation, an anonymous sponsor and Alameda Elks Lodge #1015.

Powering Up!
Thank you for supporting innovative technology education programs across the district through your enrollment in Power Up For Learning, a collaboration of Alameda Municipal Power and AEF. Funds raised through this program go straight into educational STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts integration and math) programs. For as little as $1 per month, you can help students across the district get the education and experience they need to thrive in this ever-increasing tech¬¬nological world. Sign up by Nov. 30th and Alameda Municipal Power will donate an additional $50 for each new participant. Please enroll today!

Ace It!
Middle school gyms are again filled with spirit now that AEF’s Volleyball program is up and running. 125 6th – 8th graders representing 10 teams from 7 middle schools are participating in co-ed volleyball this fall. Come on by and check out a match. You can view the schedule and results here.

Enrichment
After school enrichment classes are underway. To date, we have 1,000 students registered for the fall program. We are offering 145 classes in subjects such as carpentry, cooking, dance, orchestra, programming and much more. Most of our classes are offered on school sites to make them easily accessible for students, and we offer 90% scholarships to qualified students to make them affordable. We are thrilled to welcome back Haight Elementary as one of our school sites. We are now at 12 schools with additional Alameda wide programs at other locations, but all of our classes are open to students from any Alameda public school. Our classes provide opportunities for students to explore new areas of learning, often sparking imaginations or discovering passions. In the course of a regular school year, we will have about 3,000 registrations in our Enrichment classes.