Dear REF Community,

In the words of Ravenswood Superintendent Gina Sudaria, “The start of a new school year isn't just a date on the calendar. It's a crucial moment that sets the tone for the months ahead. And, team, I am proud to say that our collective efforts have set the stage not just for any year but for an extraordinary year of growth, collaboration, and success.”

Ravenswood, indeed, has an extraordinary year ahead. The district is welcoming new site leaders at Costaño School of the Arts and Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, implementing a new English Language Arts curriculum that is aligned with the science of reading, giving Belle Haven School a much-needed remodel, and launching the next phase of a community-driven strategic planning process - just to name a few of the key initiatives underway. And we, the Ravenswood Education Foundation community, have an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to their success. 

Here are a few of the ways you can make a difference for students and teachers in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park this year:

#1 Donate to REF’s annual campaign: With a contribution to the REF annual campaign, you are directly impacting Ravenswood students, providing them targeted literacy intervention and math support, access to STEM experiences in the makerspace, science labs and robotics tournaments, daily enrichment classes including art, music, drama, and PE, and so much more. 

#2 Volunteer. Sharing your time building relationships with and supporting Ravenswood students and staff can make all the difference. We have a number of ongoing and one-time volunteer projects from working with students in the libraries to adopting classrooms to campus beautification. If you or a group you are affiliated with are interested in learning more about how you can engage, please contact REF’s Director of Operations, Jazmin Sosa.

Jenna Wachtel Pronovost

Executive Director