November 2017 Newsletter – Making a Difference

Message from the AEF President

I recently received a note from a former student thanking me for saving her life. Maria was my student when I was a vice principal in Union City 25 years ago. As vice-principal, I saw the students who had discipline issues – and I saw Maria a lot. But I also saw potential, and I told her she could do better. Now all these years later, Maria has a successful career as an educator, is married, and has two children who are doing well in school. She told me in her note that many of her childhood friends are in jail or dead. But because she was given a chance – was given opportunity – she succeeded

That desire to make a difference is what drives the work we do at the Alameda Education Foundation. I encourage you to check out our 2016-2017 Annual Report. You can see the number of learning opportunities we support and the impact we make thanks to your generosity. But most importantly, your support makes a difference in students’ lives. From the young woman who learned to challenge herself to the young man who went from being a failing student to a B+ student to the classroom of students who have a vital new classroom tool for learning.

Please help us continue to make a difference in student lives with a donation today. As you can see from this report, public funding alone is not enough to give students the tools and opportunities they need to be successful. It takes a community who values education and understands the difference education can make it a young person’s future.

All the best,

Bill Sonneman

AEF Spotlight

Student Art Across the Island

Bay Farm middle schoolers studied lunar landscapes taken by the Hubble Telescope to inspire their artwork. Franklin students were inspired by Jackson Pollack and Ruby Bridges students by Monet. Academy of Alameda students thought about individuals who have made a difference in the world and honored them with collage portraits.
Read more.

AEF Announcements

Alameda Asteroids Finish Season Strong!

Congratulations to the Alameda Asteroids! AEF’s middle school cross country team performed well at the recent SACMAL championships on Nov. 1st. Varsity girls came in 2nd overall and many individual medals were earned. Fourty-six students from 6 Alameda public middle schools participated in this enrichment program this fall.

Volleyball Championships on Deck

Playoffs begin Thursday, Nov. 9 for AEF’s middle school coed volleyball playoffs and championships. Teams from Alameda’s seven public middle schools will be vying for the championship trophy in Divisions I and II. A complete schedule with up-to-date results may be found here.

Volleyball is one of three after school sports run by AEF as part of its Middle School Sports program. State budget cuts resulted in the program being eliminated by the school district in 2017-2018, but AEF took it over in 2009. Since that time, the program has grown from a participation of three schools and 200 students to seven schools and over 650 participants. The other sports include girls and boys basketball in the winter and track & field in the spring.

Get your Warriors Tickets!

Bring your family and friends to Alameda Education Night and cheer on your 2017 NBA Champion Warriors as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks! On Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 7:30 PM at the Oracle Arena. AEF will receive a portion of each ticket sold.
Tickets: $95 – No taxes, surcharges or fees!

Go to warriors.com/AEF and enter the password AEF!

Enrichment Classes – Winter/Spring

Be on the lookout in December for after-school enrichment class schedules at Alameda elementary schools. Registration will open for these classes on Jan. 11, 2018 at 9:30 AM here.

Adopt a Classroom in Full Swing

Thanks to the generosity of our Alameda community, we adopted 80 teachers in September and October. Our goal is 200 for the year! AEF’s Adopt A Classroom program gives 100% of each $500 donation to the teacher – no strings attached! Teachers use the funds as they know best to support learning opportunities for their classroom. Our emphasis is on adopting teachers who are most in need of support. If you can help, please visit our Adopt A Classroom webpage.