An excellent education is one of the keys to our children's future success.

2014/15 End of Year Newsletter

 

Heraclitus of Ephesus said, "The only thing that is constant is change." This past year, WCEF lived this saying. Sadly, we bid farewell to Executive Director Liz Davis when she retired after six years at the helm of WCEF. Happily, we welcomed Stacey Roberts-Ohr as the new Executive Director!

We upped the bar on our fundraising goal from last year; and, I am happy to report that we made it! We could not have accomplished it without so many in the community supporting us with donations. The biggest THANK YOU goes to our parent community! Our parents' donations accounted for 88% of our fundraising, and we are so thankful for their commitment to ensuring a quality education for the more than 5,000 Walnut Creek K-12 kids we serve.

Looking ahead, this coming year we will begin our first ever collaborative fundraising effort with all of the parent fundraising clubs. This is an historic change as WCEF takes on funding the Science Specialists at the k-5 level, the Teacher on Special Assignment (2nd Vice principal) at WCI and begins to fund more technology K-12. Our fundraising goal for next year is $1,000,000. If you would like to donate now, please click here.

~ Tim Schultz
President ? Walnut Creek Education Foundation

 

IN THIS ISSUE:
De Sa Scholarship Winner Announced: LLHS Senior Isabella Younger
Collaboration Update:
Together We're Stronger
Spotlight: Your Donation at Work Crisis Counselors at Las Lomas High School
Do you have a few hours to share? Impact Your Child's Education, Today!
Fundraising Wrap Up
Rossmoor Spring 2015 Update
Volunteers Rock
New WCEF Board 2015-16
Upcoming Events
 
 
 

"Thanks to WCEF I enjoy the privilege of learning with and from my colleagues. When my students go to Art, Music & PE, I meet with my grade level colleagues and we plan, half of the time with our coach, for how best to teach our students. I cannot begin to list the ways my teaching has improved because of this collaborative time, but I promise that what I learn directly affects students because we are always working hard to become better teachers."

Judy Mazur, Teacher, Grade 5 Buena Vista Elementary

 

 

De Sa Scholarship Winner Announced: LLHS Senior Isabella Younger

The ninth annual Michael W. De Sa Memorial Scholarship administered by the Walnut Creek Education Foundation (WCEF), was awarded in the amount of $2,000.00 to Las Lomas High School senior, Isabella Younger. (Pictured at center left with Lisa and Sam De Sa.)The scholarship was presented to Ms. Younger at Lomas High School Senior Awards Night held on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Read More...

Collaboration Update: Together We're Stronger
Collaborative Fundraising to Benefit All Our Students!

At the April 6th Walnut Creek School District Governing Board meeting, the Board approved the Collaborative Fundraising Implementation Plan. The plan was crafted by a subcommittee of the Governing Board: Board member Barbara Pennington, Superintendent Patty Wool, Parents Heidi Gatty and Kathy Kibbe, and WCEF member Liz Davis. To read Dr. Wool's letter to the community regarding Collaborative Fundraising please click here.

To read a complete copy of the Implementation Plan please click here.

Spotlight: Your Donation at Work
Crisis Counselors at Las Lomas High School

1 in 4 teenagers seriously think about suicide. Thanks in part to the generosity of WCEF parents; help is available at Las Lomas. Sometimes called crisis counselors, mental health interventionists, or intervention specialists, Jennifer Kleist and Claire Arbours feel the title "support counselor" is more apt. And one of them is on campus, available to our kids 4 days a week.

Not surprisingly, students at Las Lomas tend to be very focused as they aim for college and life beyond high school. They ask themselves if they measure up or are good enough. This leads to an increase in anxiety and depression, both commonplace at Las Lomas and at many high schools. Our support counselors' goal is to provide support before there is a crisis. They offer strategies to help kids deal with stress and anxiety, such as time management skills and self-regulation - skills that will ultimately help them become their own problem solvers.

On average, Ms. Kleist and Ms. Arbours see 8-10 students every single day, 4 days a week. Some students come in on their own or, at times, concerned friends will ask a counselor to reach out. Parents, teachers, and LLHS administration also refer students. Most just need an adult to talk to about how the world works and obtain some perspective. But some have more serious issues, such as cutting, drug and alcohol use and addiction, or multiple sex partners. And while such things may cause a parent's blood to run cold, it's important to know that LLHS offers front-line support.

Read More...




Do you have a few hours to share? Impact Your Child's Education, Today!

 

WCEF is looking for "Site Representatives" for the 2015-16 school year. Join the collaborative effort, be a part of a great team working to positively impact all our students and help maintain the quality education our students deserve.

All five elementary schools, Tice Creek School, Walnut Creek Intermediate, and Las Lomas all need one or two more people willing to lend a hand. This volunteer position is a shared role (volunteer with a friend or come on board and make new friends) and averages fewer than 5 hours per month. Help share the WCEF collaborative message. Have direct access to the WCEF Board, including WCSD and AUHSD Governing Board members, principals, and superintendents. In addition, there are a few spots open on our volunteer Foundation board: Secretary, Co-Fundraising VP, Volunteer Chair, Rossmoor Chair, and Major Donor Chair. If you want to learn more, contact Katy Grant at katyg@eventalchemy.com.

Tomorrow is too late. Yesterday is over. NOW is exactly the right moment to START! Our kids are counting on us!

Fundraising Wrap Up: Over $90,000 Raised from Business/Community

This school year, WCEF participated in several community building events that raised funds for our students' education. Your participation is the key and we thank you for coming out and supporting these great events.

  • In August and December, Sports Basement* hosted a Back to School and Holiday shopping day. Between both Sports Basement Shopping Days, a total of $2,400.47 was raised.
  • In September, The Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association's Fall Wine Walk raised $580.
  • In September and October, Extreme Pizza* partnered with WCEF giving 10% back to WCEF when customers mentioned WCEF. $1,176 was raised.
  • In October, both Whole Foods and Talbot's each hosted a WCEF Shopping Day. Shopping bags and ice tea were given out and Whole Foods was extremely pleased with the volume of business, partnering with WCEF to raise $6,377.80 for our kids. Talbot's Shopping Appreciation Day made $756 for WCEF.
  • On Thanksgiving Day, FORMA Gym hosted the 22nd Annual Walnut Creek Turkey Trot benefiting WCEF, PEAK, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties and Wellness City Challenge. Over 7,500 runners and 330 volunteers took part in this inspirational event to promote healthy lifestyles. Forma Gym's contribution to WCEF was $20,000.
  • In December, The Honey Bear Christmas Tree Lot from Lafayette fundraiser raised $766.
  • In February, WCEF welcomed new Business Partner Veggie Grill to Walnut Creek with a 50% give back event that raised over $1500 for our students!
  • In May, WCEF held a Spring Gala to celebrate ten years of service to our districts since merging with the Las Lomas Foundation in 2005. The event was called, "Honoring Our Past? Celebrating Our Future". In one evening, we raised $27,000. Checks were also presented from Sports Basement* for $22,000 and from Hall Equities Group for $25,000. (Mark Hall from Hall Equities is pictured presenting the check to WCEF President Tim Schultz.)
  • In June, WCEF partnered with Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association and several downtown Walnut Creek businesses for an evening of giving back. Over $1,000 was raised at the event.

*Please keep in mind that year round, when you shop at Sports Basement and dine at Extreme Pizza, mention WCEF at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase. A win-win!

Rossmoor Spring 2015 Update

 

The Rossmoor Friends of the Walnut Creek Education Foundation Club is organized to provide an opportunity for Rossmoor residents to keep abreast of current news and issues related to Rossmoor's two school districts: the Walnut Creek School District (WCSD) K-8 and the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD). All Rossmoor residents are invited to attend club meetings that are held at the Creekside Clubhouse four times per year.

This spring the club held two meetings. On March 12, Las Lomas High School's Common Core English Language Arts Coach Lisa Rigisich presented a lesson that demonstrated new Common Core teaching tools. The audience became the students and spent an hour experiencing a snapshot of a Common Core class and then participated in a discussion about Common Core's potential to deepen students' thinking and to change the way teachers teach. Student work from the Las Lomas Visual Arts Department was also on display.

On Wednesday, May 20 the final Rossmoor meeting was held for the 2014/15 school year. The topic was Tice Creek, the new K-8 school that the Walnut Creek School District is opening this fall. The school will be focusing on project-based learning for grades Kindergarten through eighth grade. Superintendent Dr. Patty Wool and Curriculum Director Lisa Cheney explained to the attendees why this approach was chosen, how it's different from what is currently being taught in the District, and what needs to be done to get a new school up and running. Please call 925.933.9233 if you would like more information about the Rossmoor Friends of the Walnut Creek Education Foundation Club.

Volunteers Rock

We Couldn't Do It Without You:
Thank You to Our Volunteers

The Walnut Creek Education Foundation is primarily a volunteer-run organization whose mission is to raise funds to preserve and enhance the education of each student in the Walnut Creek School District and Las Lomas High School through a broad-based community effort. We, at WCEF, want to thank you for the personal contribution of your time in volunteering for one or many of our activities and events throughout the school year. You donated countless hours of your time to help with:

  • Sports Basement
  • Back to School Shopping Days/Holiday Boutique
  • Welcome Back Days/TRI-S
  • Back to School Nights K-12
  • Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association Wine Walk
  • Whole Foods Shopping Day
  • Las Lomas Homecoming Tailgater
  • #TurnUpTheHeat and #TurnUpTheHeart
  • Forma Gym Turkey Trot
  • Donation Days/Open House
  • Spring Gala

Your continued commitment and enthusiasm is greatly appreciated and resonates throughout our entire community. Thank you!

~ Denise Stenberg, WCEF Volunteer Chair



New WCEF Board 2015-16

The 2015-2016 WCEF Executive Board was elected on May 21, 2015. We are grateful to the following individuals for volunteering their time and talents to benefit all our students K-12!

  • President ? Tim Schultz
  • VP Administration ? Jennifer Wickboldt
  • Secretary ? OPEN
  • Treasurer ? Jeff Pickett
  • VP Fundraising ? Donna Goldwasser
  • VP Communications ? Emma Berkowitz
  • VP Business/Community ? Marci Winer/Peter Amen
  • VP Parent Development (Site) ? Katy Grant
  • Volunteer Chair ? OPEN
  • Rossmoor Chair ? OPEN
  • Major Donor Chair ? OPEN
  • Matching Gifts Volunteer ? Rob Stankus
  • Endowment Chair ? Eva Santelli
  • Auditor ? Michelle Jennings
  • BV Site Representative ? OPEN
  • IV Site Representative ? Katy Grant
  • MW Site Representative ?OPEN
  • PM Site Representative ? OPEN
  • Tice Creek Site Representative ? Hallie Bahr
  • WH Site Representative ? OPEN
  • WCI Site Representative ? Samantha Francois/ Valeria Melincu/Suzanne Moss
  • LLHS Site Representative ? Lisa Sun/ Mary Joslin
Upcoming Events

Sports Basement Back to School
Shopping Weekend

Come to Sports Basement Walnut Creek for the WCEF Back to School Shopping Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, August 15th and 16th from 9:00 am to 7:00pm. You will get a 10% discount on anything you purchase and 10% of your purchase goes back to WCEF for our schools!

Welcome Back Days/Tri-S

  • Las Lomas High School ? August 18
  • WCI ? August 19
  • Tice Creek ? August
  • Murwood ? August 24
  • Parkmead ? August 24
  • Buena Vista ? August 24
  • Walnut Heights? August 24
  • Indian Valley ? August 24
Facebook

Like Us
on Facebook


Funded Programs and Personnel 2015-2016

K-5 ? Buena Vista, Indian Valley, Murwood, Parkmead,
Walnut Heights (WCSD)

Tice Creek

  • Art, Music & Physical Education
  • Coach/Teacher Sub Costs
  • Librarian Hours
  • Science Lab Specialist

6-8 Walnut Creek Intermediate (WCSD)

  • Campus Safety
  • Free Afterschool Homework Help
  • Counselor
  • WCI Librarian Hours
  • Teacher on Special Assignment (TSA - 2nd Vice Principal)
  • Science Technology (Hardware/Software)

9-12 Las Lomas High School
(AUHSD)

  • 9 Core Academic Classes (English, Math, History, Science)
  • Intervention Specialist (Mental Health)
  • Nurse
  • Science Support/Technology
  • Departmental Grants/Technology
  • Performing Arts Support
For more information or to donate visit wcefk12.org
WCEF is a 501c3 non-profit organization, Federal Tax I.D. #94-2915151