AEF Enrichment classes

Bill’s Word: Thanksgiving

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Dear Friend,

November is the month when we think about the true meaning of Thanksgiving. We at the Alameda Education Foundation have much to be thankful for.

1. I am very thankful that Diane Foster and Kathy Moehring have joined our Board of Directors! They bring experience, expertise and a commitment to our students. Welcome Diane and Kathy!

2. We have moved to our new offices in Historic Alameda High. Our new address is 2200 Central Avenue, Suite B, although our mailing address remains PO Box 1363. We are very pleased and wish to thank AUSD for their help and support with this move.

3. I am thrilled to report that we have learned we will be receiving a $50,000 donation from VF Outdoor. VF Outdoor moved their Action and Outdoor Sports headquarters to Alameda recently. These brands include Jansport, North Face, Lucy, Smartwool, Timberland, Eaglecreek, Vans and Reefs. This is the biggest single grant in our history and it will make a huge impact on thousands of Alameda public school students.

4. I am thankful to all the generous donors who made October the biggest Adopt A Classroom month ever with 66 adoptions. A kindergarten student when hearing her teacher received the money said very loudly, “Oh my goodness!” A veteran teacher adopted for the first time may have been the most thrilled of all. Another teacher saw me come in the door and yelled “Money!” We are well on our way towards our goal of 150 adoptions for the 2013-2014 school year, although we wish we could adopt every single teacher. I am always thankful for our Adopt A Classroom chair and presentation sidekick, Kathie Woulfe.

5. Thank you to our long-time friends, the Alameda Kiwanis Club, for their grant supporting the Adopt A Classroom program.

6. Our volleyball season is wrapping up with playoffs and championships the week prior to Thanksgiving break. Thanks to our Athletic Director, Marty Garchar, for coordinating this program that over the course of the year includes participation from almost 600 student-athletes representing seven schools.  Registration for basketball tryouts begins Nov. 11th at 9 AM and closes Nov. 18th!  All students interested in trying out for basketball must register online.  Visit www.AlamedaEducation.org and click on the blue “” button.  More information is here.   

7. Our Enrichment program continues to grow with innovative learning opportunities for our students in movie making, “coding,” languages, the arts and much more. This winter we will sponsor one-on-one counseling with students and their parents to help ensure students are on track for graduation and post-graduation plans. In the spring we have our Information Night for Incoming Freshmen and will be launching Paying for College 101 information sessions to help families make informed decisions about college expenses and financial packages. I am proud of these programs that help promote not only opportunities, but equity for all students across the Island.

Finally, thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of the Alameda Education Foundation. Together, we are supporting learning opportunities, innovation and equity for Alameda’s 10,000 public school students. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Bill Sonneman