Dear Friends of the Foundation,

It’s the season to give thanks and a good time for all of us to take a moment to appreciate all that we have. It’s also a great time for the Foundation to reflect on the generosity of donors and volunteers like you who have supported our mission with gifts of time, talent and treasure. Your benevolence has made it possible to bring tools and resources — once thought out of reach — to Valley’s campus.

When we started the Foundation only a few years ago, we could not have predicted the scope of what would be accomplished by the focused and collective efforts of our donors, sponsors, teachers, parents and friends. And I know for me, when I look at it all in a single place, the impact made through the Foundation on the educational experience of every child at Valley is really very impressive.

2008-09: $15,000

• Brain Pop software
• Character Counts banners in MPR
• Copier support
• Book purchases
• GATE program supplies
• Arts Attack drying racks
• Floating Lab, Capistrano and Californian field trips
• Teacher and classroom supplies — twice for every classroom
• “Windows on Valley” photography gallery in office

2009-10: $34,000

• Library Books ($10,000)
• Compass Learning – Math ($17,000)
• Brain Pop software
• Library supplies
• Capistrano and Californian field trips
• Geology materials
• PE equipment
• Revolutionary War Interactive Books
• CA Young Reader Medal Books
• Science Team registration and materials
• BizTown registration
• Padres Unidos program
• Reading Literacy Program

2010-11: $46,000

• Update Computer Lab (14 desktop computers) ($16,000)
• Classroom Computers Phase 1 (34 ThinkPads) ($21,000)
• Library Books ($5,000)
• Brain Pop software
• Classroom supplies
• Floating Lab, Capistrano and Californian field trips
• CA Young Reader Medal Books
• Padres Unidos program
• “Morning Meeting” Responsive Classroom professional development kit
• College Banners

What’s also impressive is the amount of time and effort — not just money (and certainly not magic) — required to make all this happen. So in addition to every donor and sponsor, I also want to say thank you to each and every volunteer — from the community members that show up at 4am to park vehicles at Lake Poway; to the Valley parents who work our events, manage our web sites and provide super-fast translation; to the dedicated teachers who attend our events — and every past and present board member. Without you, not one penny of this $100K would have been raised or invested.

But while the calendar year ends, the school year continues and with it the challenges of a budget crisis not seen before in our lifetime.  In an era when it costs more than $7,000 to educate one child for one year at Valley, and when every dollar gets stretched further and further, public school foundations are being asked to fill the gap and support their schools in ways not originally anticipated. Our foundation is no different. As a result, we have needed to get creative — both in our fundraising as well as in our investments. So here’s a look at what’s on the horizon in both areas in 2011-12:

Anticipated Investments:

• 10 iPads for state-of-the-art educational enrichment pilot program
• Classroom Computers Phase 2
• Compass Learning – Language Arts
• Brain Pop software
• Carleen Walda Memorial Gift
• Magazine literacy support program
• Additional mini-grants for student programs and literacy support

Planned Fundraisers:

• Dime-A-Day — we still only have the participation of about 10% of the school. If we collected $17.50 for every student at Valley, that would total almost $13,000. That’s enough to purchase the rest of Compass Learning for the WHOLE SCHOOL — THIS YEAR!
• Holiday “Teacher Time” Silent Auction ­— bid sheets go up on doors Monday, November 28!
• Spell-a-Thon — look for information about this new education-based program in early 2012!
• 6th Annual Cinco de Mayo Trail Run at Lake Poway — May 5, 2012. This is the biggest fundraiser and our last, best chance to raise money for Valley this school year. Mark your calendar!
• Strong push to apply for (and hopefully secure) outside grants.
• Concerted effort to make employer donation matching information accessible to all parents — this is FREE money that can in most cases double your donation. Look for more information about this on our web site.

I know companies have a choice as to where to spend philanthropic dollars from ever-shrinking budgets. I know that making cash donations isn’t something anyone looks forward to doing. I know people sometimes wonder whether the donation made to our auction, or the sponsorship bought at the Trail Run, or the extra volunteer hours, or the additional stress (and the resulting distracted parenting) was worth it. But when you see the results in action on campus — in every classroom, in the computer lab, in the library and in the faces of children touching technology for the very first time — you have to know your choice to invest in Valley was well-placed. There should be no doubt in your mind: you have made a tremendous difference for every child at Valley.

Thank you so much for your support.

Megan Schirmacher
President, Valley Elementary Educational Foundation