HEF dollars support individual programs at each of the four schools in the Healdsburg Unified School District. At Healdsburg Elementary School: Fitch Mountain Campus (FMC), the school that educates children in grades 3-5, these programs have become central to what happens at the school every day.
According to Principal Erika McGuire, HEF dollars have helped in three areas in particular: enrichment, parent outreach, and one-to-one learning.
“So many things at this school have gotten off the ground or grown
because of HEF,” McGuire said.
The enrichment program is a great example. HEF has supported these “extra-curricular” classes for several years, and the program remains a favorite among students. Options are varied and change every year; forthe 2021-2022 school year, FMC offers eight classes including chess, music and cartooning.
The school’s 230 students cycle through different enrichment classes each trimester; two enrichments are offered to students in each grade at any given time. This means that over the course of the year every student will have six enrichments.
Another way HEF has supported FMC students: By teaming with the John Jordan Foundation to fund the parent outreach coordinator.
The person in this role—her name is Alma Diaz—is tasked with promoting inclusion and serving as a liaison between the school district and Spanish-speaking families in the community. She does home visits. She has coordinated participation in the district’s weekly food distribution with Redwood Empire Food Bank. She facilitates parent/teacher communication.
“That has been a game-changer for making our schools feel more accessible to the parent community,” McGuire said. “The support she has provided to our Spanish-speaking families has been invaluable.”
Finally, HEF has played a huge part in funding Chromebooks for FMC’s 1:1 computing initiative.
In typical years, this technology would be used to enhance in-classroomexperiences. Of course, last year when in-person school was shuttered for most of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chromebooks became mission-critical. Funding for this technology will continue
through TK.
