Vol. 1,  Issue 6  
The FUNd Stuff!
Stories from the Office of Advancement at Pacific Northern Academy
One Vision. All Students. Every Day.
 

Greetings!

Thanks for the helping hand! Now we'd like to give YOU one.


What's the best way to thank our donors to the Annual Fund? How about by doing what we do best, plus a little cinematic entertainment? 

Details will be announced on October 5th. Get your pledge to the Annual Fund into Jennie or Linda, or make a donation online - we're pretty sure you're not going to  want to miss out!
 
Class Participation by Grade 
EARLY KINDERGARTEN               44%  - No change
KINDERGARTEN                           56%  - No increase
FIRST GRADE                                73%  - WOW! Up by 18%
SECOND GRADE                         56%  - 12% increase
THIRD GRADE                               78%  - No change
FOURTH GRADE                           89%  - No change
FIFTH/SIXTH GRADE                      64%  - 7% increase
SEVENTH/EIGHTH GRADE           65%  - 12% increase

 

More Than A Classroom: A Community 

There's no mistaking that when you walk into PNA, you're doing more than dropping your kid at his classroom door. From the morning white board question to an afternoon Parent Association meeting to the annual Fall Festival, PNA is a place where community matters and friends are down every hallway. We join because it's fun, or our friends are there, or our kids are pulling us in. But there's an unexpected upside: when parents participate in their children's education by being physically present in the school or helping out from home, children benefit. They perform better and achieve more. "Children whose parents are involved in their school life attain greater academic achievements and are more motivated to excel than children whose parents distance themselves from their child's educational experience....Parental involvement encompasses more than simply helping children with their homework. Parents who become involved with their local school boards or help with after-school activities and fundraising also contribute to their child's personal and academic success in school." - From Livestrong.org, quoting the Michigan Department of Education and SEDL. As it turns out, in fact, your participation not only benefits your child, but everyone's children. And everyone has a lot of fun, to boot. 

Middle school parent breakfast: teatro espanol!

Los papa`s disfrutan del teatro juvenil. 

Most commonly heard quote: "I didn't realize my kid spoke Spanish so well!" (so have your child translate for you!)

 Fall Festival: Everyone links up for the dance.

The family that draws together...has great art together?

Stephen introduces himself to the community. Round and round and round and round we go...
...when we'll stop, no one knows!

Carmen Bradford visits with 2nd through 8th graders
 
This week has seen a wealth of community involvement, not just in financial pledges of support, but in time and talent shared. To me, community spirit is one of our best qualities, and I see it in PNA every day - from kids talking in the halls to famous visitors taking the time to visit our school. 
 
Following the Fall Festival last Friday, (which I must say was one of the best attended that I remember!) our 7th and 8th grade students invited their families to see them showcase their Spanish interpretation and speaking skills, and their flair for Latin drama. They performed five short plays over breakfast that they had translated and arranged while awaiting the arrival of their new Spanish teacher. They also performed them in front of the entire student body at the year's first all-school assembly. Their courage to perform enthusiastically in a language that isn't their primary one speaks volumes to the PNA programThe EK and Kindergarten took great delight in the scene where the grandma chased off the wolf with a frying pan in the rendition of  Caperucita Roja, and they giggled in the halls about it for the rest of the day!
 
Our students and staff were also treated to an afternoon with Carmen Bradford of the Count Basie Orchestra. She took time to stop by PNA while visiting Anchorage on the way to Australia. Ms. Bradford shared her passion for music, her experiences as a performer, and many of her favorites - songs, animals, and foods. Her advice to our aspiring musicians? Be prepared! If you are going to major in music in college, get that minor in business. There is a lot of negotiations that go into being a performer - from signing recording contracts to booking tours around the world!
 
Dr. Cohen led his first book discussion about Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind.  In an age when almost all computer work can be outsourced overseas and when merely having a lot of facts in one's mind is not education, what are the talents, intelligences and skills that we will need? That is what Daniel Pink seeks to answer. If you missed it, you're invited to grab the book and join the discussion on October 1st.  
 
Ros Nicholson and Lisa Maurer are excited to share the next big thing at PNA, and I had a really great conversation with them about what is coming up. I won't spill the beans yet, but I'll ask you to reserve October 10th on your calendars and plan to join us and our special guest at PNA. Childcare will be available and laughter usually abounds. 
 
Last week I shared the family, board and staff giving participation rates, and I'm thrilled to say this week that 100% of our Board of Trustees members have pledged their support to the Annual Fund! 
 

Current family participation is at 64%, and staff and faculty are at 73%. I can't help wonder who will take up the challenge and join the board at 100% participation first? 

 

Hmmm....

Sincerely yours,
 
Jennie Tschappat
 
Director of Advancement
Pacific Northern Academy
 
Attention Alumni!
Give to the PNA Annual Fund, and Dr. David Beal will match your donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000! 
 
We have received $17,750 dollars in alumni and past family gifts so far. Please donate, and join Dr. Beal, making this the year of PNA.
 
Donations can be made:
1. Online!
2. By phone at (907) 333-1080
3. By mail: 
Pacific Northern Academy
550 Bragaw Street
Anchorage, AK 99508

Click here to

paypal

 

 

The Board of Trustees have 
reached 100% participation in this year's Annual Fund! We can't say thank you enough to:
 
John Evans
Rick Goodfellow
Mary Hewitt
Lisa Maurer
Mary Hewitt
Bruce Neeno
Ros Nicholson
John Pattee
Amy Rhyneer
Bernadette Shilliam
Marty Weiser
Steve Young
 
Reach for it!
We're so close...
We are over 79% of the way to $225,000. Let's 
Keep It Climbing!
 

 

   

 
Who's Talking Now?
Shannon and Kathy at the book club 
School is not just for the kids. The opportunities for parent participation and growth are plentiful. This week marked the first ever parent book club (they discussed A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink; there will be another session on the book Oct. 1st at 5:00). Holding a story time at the library or getting to enjoy a field trip you've driven a class to can be as gratifying to the adult as it is for the child.

 Who's this? 

Ros and Lisa will be bringing PNA's amazing Gala Auction to life - with all our help! The Auction is a wonderful opportunity to come play and work with your fellow parents. Stay tuned....

 

The Annual Fund is the most cost-efficient method we have of raising money. There are lots of other benefits, too. A robust community response is an excellent health-o-meter that we can show to grant-giving organizations, who like to see that our community is fully engaged and supportive. We look forward to sharing with the larger community that our parent participation has grown by leaps and bounds this year. Can we get to 100% this year? Only with your donation.
 
A healthy Annual Fund is also integral to kicking off our Auction:
Support begets support. 
 


Here's a Thought

"When you get involved with a school, you get a jewel of a reward - in terms of the satisfaction of contributing, the friendships you develop, the chance to be near your young children when they welcome you on campus and your older children when you can lurk in the corridors and take the pulse of what's really going on....
You get back what you give in many more ways than you ever anticipated."  
 
-Nicolette Templer Waldon, mother of three students and board member at Paideia School in Atlanta, Ga.
 
 
 
Whose Desk Is This?
Put on your detective hat!
Answer next week...

 

 

 

Coming Right Up:

 

 

Annual Fund Phone-a-thon

Did you miss it?

 

Parent Book Club 

Monday, Oct 1

5 pm to 6:30 pm at PNA

A Whole New Mind

 

The Big Thank You...

 Wanna go out?

Details on October 5

Childcare and a movie on US!

 

And the new theme is...???

Wednesday, October 10

5 pm in the PNA Library 

 

 For a full calendar, please go to the PNA website:

  


We educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of wisdom, courage, and integrity. 

  Pacific Northern Academy * 550 Bragraw Street * Anchorage, Alaska 99508 

Arnie Cohen, Head of School
Krystal Meuleners, Director of Admissions & Marketing
Jennie Tschappat, Director of Advancement
TEL: (907) 333-1080 FAX: (907) 333-1652
www.pacificnorthern.org