Bill’s Word – A New Record!

Dear Friend,

A new record. Wow! My intrepid co-presenter Kathie Woulfe and I just completed our 189th Adopt A Classroom presentation for the year. This is 19 more than our goal and a new record. To put it in perspective, six years ago we did 39 adoptions, and we have now topped that by 150. This year, $94,500 has been donated to classrooms thanks to generous members of our community, such as realtors and zombies. I am proud to say that a majority of these adoptions have supported teachers in need, such as special education and new teachers. The adoptions have enabled students to participate in opportunities they otherwise would not have been able to, such as outdoor education field trips and civil rights experiences. Thank you to all our donors for recognizing the value of supporting our classrooms and for their generosity. General support for AEF enables us to give 100% of each donation to our teachers.

Beyond K-12. With the increasing burden of college debt many of our young people face these days, being prepared for college academically is not enough. That’s why I am pleased that AEF presented College Finances 101 on March 23rd. With college debt at $1.3 trillion and increasing by $3,000 every second, students and their parents need to understand college costs and student loan packages before they sign on the dotted line. Close to 100 parents and students attended our free presentation and learned ways to make wise college financial decisions. You can find much of the information we presented on our website.

Innovative Programs. Did you know that 4th graders at Ruby Bridges are learning coding as part of their math curriculum? Or that some Academy of Alameda students attend an Organizational Boot Camp? Or that Encinal students are continuing the noble work for championing for civil rights? These are just some of the innovative programs that will be showcased at AEF’s Salute to Education event on April 24, 2015 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM at Rhythmix Cultural Works. Each Alameda public school will honor an innovative program and a volunteer. Tickets are just $30 and are on sale from our website. The evening includes gourmet hors d’oeuvres from some of Alameda’s favorite restaurants, wine and beverages, and great fellowship. We hope you can join us to learn more about the amazing work being done in our schools.

Salute to Education would not be possible without the support from our sponsors: Alameda Point Partners, Alameda South Shore Center, and Tim Lewis Communities. We appreciate these businesses’ support of public education in Alameda!

Summer Learning Opportunities. Registration is now open for the Alameda Education Foundation’s summer enrichment camps at www.AlamedaEducation.org. There are several exciting new camps available including business entrepreneurship for high school students, solar/renewable energy for middle schoolers and photography for elementary students. Other camps include Mandarin, Spanish, coding, and a variety of camps in the arts, sciences and technology. All camps are taught by experts in their fields and have no more than a 14-1 student-to-teacher ratio. Camps will be held on the Otis School campus, 3010 Fillmore St., Alameda and run from June 22 – July 31st. A full listing of camps and registration is on the AEF website. There is an early bird discount until April 30th.

Students may gain work experience while earning community service with AEF’s Summer Internship program as a camp aide – available for students aged 14 – 17. Students should apply online here.

Sophomore Counseling. If you have a sophomore, he or she probably had/will have a special one-on-one session with their school counselor to help plan out the rest of their high school classes and be on track for post-graduation plans. At AEF, we understand the vital impact a counselor makes on students. That’s why we are pleased to support AUSD high school counseling efforts by financially supporting after hours counseling appointments, appointment scheduling, and materials.

Meanwhile, 8th graders and their parents should mark their calendars for Incoming Freshman Information Nights on April 29th (Alameda) and May 7th (Encinal).

Hoops Championships! Boys basketball playoffs and championships begin next week. The level of play has been really top notch this year and the playoffs and championships promise to be close and exciting. Check out the full schedule here. And congratulations to the Lincoln Lions, girls DI champions, and the Bay Farm Dolphins, who took home the girls DII championships.

A sad note. One of our volunteers and supporters passed away a few weeks ago. Roan Kees made a difference in many students’ lives in our community. She volunteered all over our community: Wood Middle School, Little League, Encinal Water Polo and Swimming, World Baseball, St. Joseph’s and us to name a few. Young people and adults alike were touched by her kindness. She will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Vote for us! Alameda Magazine “Best of” voting is still open and AEF is in the running for Best After School Program and Best Nonprofit Group. Please consider voting for us here. Voting ends May 31st.

Support our work. It is never too late to support the AEF. Please consider a donation. Your donation will continue the quality programs presented by the AEF.

Enjoy Spring Break!

Sincerely,

Bill Sonneman, President