Ever wonder how you and your friends would do at the NEF Spelling Bee?

Now is your chance to find out! We're accepting registrations for teams to participate in this year's Bee, which is Thursday April 3, at 7:00 p.m. It's fun, and the $350 goes to a great cause - the education of our children.

If you can't see yourself spelling, we're also welcoming sponsors and program book advertising from as low as $25 up to $2,500.

Either way, it's a really fun evening. For more information, visit:
http://www.nefneedham.org/spellingbee08sponsorship.html

We're proud to announce that we have funded three great projects in our town's schools as part of this year's NEF Large Grants Program:

NEF's Large Grants Program is our once-a-year effort to finance innovation that has long-lasting impact throughout the school system, to a maximum of $15,000. Read more about these grants.

If you're a teacher, parent or administrator with a great idea for a grant project, download a Spring Grant application from the NEF website, pick one up at the School Department offices, or at any school throughout town. The deadline to submit the application is March 7. The maximum award for our spring and autumn grants programs is $5,000. Read more about our grant programs.

Circus Smirkus
Talk about innovation! Troy Wunderle, an accomplished circus artist, visited the Eliot School in early January for a week to teach physical education skills through non-competitive juggling, balancing, and other circus games. The students learned self-confidence, patience, persistence, balance, rhythm, reflexes and fine motor skills - and did it while having lots of fun. What's better than that?

Chris and George Hoffmeister, members of NEF's Leaders Circle, have a special connection to the origins of the Needham Education Foundation. Chris' father was the late Ralph Leader, the NHS alumnus who co-founded the NEF in 1991. "He felt that education was so important for people," Chris recalls. "It was natural that he wanted to be involved in Needham schools in some way after retiring."

The opportunity came when Leader's NHS Class of 1939 had $3,000 remaining from its 50th reunion event. He offered to donate the money to the schools, but Chris says that then-Superintendent Fred Tirell had another idea -- start a town education foundation, like those in other communities. Leader quickly agreed.

Chris says, "He saw it as a way to establish something that would go on and on, rather than just as a one-time donation."

Chris recalls that her father was "quite an extraordinary man. He believed that if you encourage people, and are good to them, they could do great things. He always said that if you could do this much, then you could do more, and together, we could make this better. And that is the culture of the NEF today."

Chris' husband George was an early NEF board member, bringing his accounting expertise to the NEF. When his term expired, Chris served for the three following years.

Today, Chris and George remain strong, consistent supporters of the NEF. Their daughter, Erica Supple, is a current NEF board member. Six of their grandchildren attend Needham public schools, from pre-school to third grade.

Spelling Bee Team and Sponsorship Deadline: Feb. 15
Deadline for Spring Grant Applications: March 7
17th Annual NEF Spelling Bee: April 3

Thank you for all your continued support!

Carla Small and Carolyn Perelmuter, NEF Co-Presidents,
and the NEF Board of Directors