Greetings!
It is hard to believe that autumn and the cool weather have finally arrived. The children are delighted to be playing outside. It is as though we have all been revitalized. In my first few months here at Phoenix Day, I have been truly "bitten" by the bug known as "the love for Phoenix Day!" The families, children, staff, volunteers, community and corporate donors are each one of a kind. In the twenty five years that I have worked with families in the Valley, I have never seen such dedication and commitment to a school. For that, I am grateful!
HealthLinks is expanding to address the needs of the Phoenix Day families, as well as the needs of the greater community. Times are tough for everyone right now. This is especially true for many of the Phoenix Day families. As I see many of our families struggling to make it on a daily basis, it strengthens my belief that it really does "take a village" to raise a child. Thankfully, each of you plays a huge part in that nurturing process. From humble beginnings dating back to 1915, Phoenix Day has taken huge strides to be innovative and progressive in addressing the needs of early child care and education, as well as supporting the comprehensive well being of children and families. Phoenix Day has continued to thrive, thanks to the dedication and belief of the community in the mission of Phoenix Day. We could not do our work here at Phoenix Day without your support. The thousands of people who have made donations, and volunteered countless hours prove that Phoenix Day has many kindred spirits!
There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to participate at Phoenix Day. Our new website will provide you with the latest information about the school and HealthLinks. If you haven't been to Phoenix Day for a while or if you have never been, please call me and I would love to update you on all that we do! There is something magical about looking into the eyes of a young child, which makes the world feel like a kinder, gentler place.
"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can!" Sydney Smith
All the Best,
Catherine Kirk
Phoenix Day Executive Director
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| Phoenix Day Benefits from Corporate Events |
 Recently, Phoenix Day has had the great fortune to be the beneficiary of three notable corporate events.
First, Phoenix Day received a generous donation from the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. This was the 5th year that Phoenix Day has benefitted from the generosity and hard work of the team at Wespac Construction.
Secondly, Phoenix Day was selected as the recipient of the proceeds from the First Annual Gilbane Golf Tournament held in October. The event was a huge success and Phoenix Day is very grateful to partner with such a great group of people.
Finally, for the second year in a row, Phoenix Day was selected as one of the beneficiaries of Summit Builders Charity Day at the Races. This event was held at Turf Paradise and provided us with much needed funding for our food and nutrition programs.
We are truly grateful for the support of these wonderful coporate partners! |
| Phoenix Day Launches New Website |
 As of Monday, November 3, 2008, we encourage you to visit www.phoenixday.org and take a peek at our new and improved website. We have added more content and completely redesigned the website to better serve our funders and the community. In addition, we have made the contribution form page much easier to navigate. Please let us know what you think, we appreciate all feedback. Simply email us at info@phoenixday.org with your comments. |
| School Update |
Following is a short list of activities going on at Phoenix Day...
Rebecca from Phoenix Conservatory of Music has completed her first training session with the teachers at Phoenix Day and will visit every other Friday to work with the teachers in a circle time with their children in their classrooms. Both the teachers and children really enjoy and learn from these opportunities.
All of the children in both Pre-K 1 & 2 have been assessed with the "Get Ready To Read" Literacy Assessment. This tool allows us to see the areas of each child's strengths and the areas that need continued attention with developmentally appropriate activities in the classrooms.
Phoenix Day, in partnership with HandsOn Greater Phoenix, has started the Adopt-A-Family program for Christmas. If you are interested in Adopting a Family, please call Bernice Medina at 602-252-4911.
Junior League of Phoenix and Premier Outdoor Solutions are partnering with Phoenix Day to complete our garden.
If you have any questions about these activities or anything else, please contact Cathy Kirk at 602-252-4911
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| Phoenix Day Welcomes new Board Members |
 Phoenix Day is proud to announce the addition of three new Board Members:
Tracy Decker, partner at BDO Seidman, LLP;
John Garza, Manager of AA/EEO Cmplaince Programs at APS; and
Jesse Hall, Vice President, Private Client Manager at U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management.
We welcome these new dedicated individuals to our Phoenix Day Board. If you are iterested in becoming involved at Phoenix Day as a Board Member, please contact Pamela Georgelos at 602-224-7893. |
| Phoenix Day Welcomes New Staff Members |
We have had many changes at Phoenix Day over the summer and we are thrilled to introduce our new Staff members.
Executive Director - Catherine Kirk. Cathy comes to us from the Arizona State University at the West campus with over 17 years of experience as the Child Development and Family Studies Lab School's Center Director.
Center Director - Sonya Jones. Sonya most recently served as Education Early Childhood Manager at Wayne Metro Head Start in Highland Park, Michigan.
Development Director - Ann Polunsky. Ann has worked in the non-profit arena in Phoenix as both a professional and volunteer for the past 40 years.
Community Administrative Coordinator - Kathy Anthony. Kathy's blend of her business background with a firm understanding and passion for early childhood education allows for a unique and multifaceted approach to community relations and volunteer recruitment/involvement.
Education Coordinator - Cathy Patterson. Cathy's responsibilities at Phoenix Day utilize her vast working knowledge of developmentally appropriate classroom practices and curriculum/child assessments that she acquired over 20 years of working in the field of Early Childhood.
We are very fortunate to have such a qualified and dedicated staff in place.
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Thank you for your interest in Phoenix Day.
If you have any questions, please call us at 602-252-4911. |
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| Holiday Mailing! |
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Phoenix Day's Annual Holiday Fund Drive is in full swing. Every contribution to Phoenix Day is fully deductible as a charitable donation. In addition, you may qualify for a dollar for dollar tax credit under the Arizona Working Poor Tax Credit program. Please click the image at the top for more information.
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| We are proud to be a Unted Way Partner |
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