NESF Friends of the Foundation
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Nickajack Foundation:
Year in Review
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Dear Nickajack Families:
A Letter from Mrs. Parks
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A couple of parents were completing their tenure on the School Council and decided that they wanted to do something that would truly impact and enrich the educational experiences of Nickajack students. After coming together with other parents that shared the same vision, the NES Foundation was born!
It is hard to believe that our fabulous Foundation has been in existence for only three short years. Since the time of its inception, the Foundation has raised approximately $150,000 for Nickajack students and staff. This would not have been possible without your continued support and cooperation, and I would like to thank you so very much for contributing to the NES Foundation this year.
Due to your generosity, we were able to sustain our computer lab and continue excellent academic programs and initiatives that we believe to be extremely beneficial to the students that we serve. I am very proud of the fact that our parents and community supporters realize that when they contribute to the Foundation they are, indeed, investing in the future of our children.
Thanks to your generous donations, we have been able to fund the following programs and initiatives:
- Computer Lab Instructor
- Professional development opportunities for computer lab instructor
- Current Event Magazines
- BrainPop - animated curriculum-based videos and games that support the standards
- Accelerated Reader - online reading assessment program
- K-2 Math Curriculum Programs - Mountain Math (aids in problem solving)
- FOLIO Writing Program for 4th & 5th Grades - writing assessments
- Ed Helper - online printable teacher resources
- OnCourse Lesson Plans - web-based planning tool for teachers
- Tumble Books - online literacy program
- Teacher Grants - support of Dream Team; document cameras; math kits; Common Core literacy materials (see below for additional information on the Grants)
Again, thank you so very much for your ongoing support of the Foundation. Have a fabulous summer, and we look forward to another super year at Nickajack!
Sincerely,
Beverly J. Parks, Principal
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2012 - 13 Foundation Highlights
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Over $50K Raised During Record-setting Back the Jack Campaign: this year, there was an increase in both individual participation (347) and total dollars raised ($50,922) from 2011 - 12
3 Successful Events Raise Additional Funds (see photos below):- 3rd Annual Kickball Tournament & Fall Festival
- 1st Annual Casino Night
- 3rd Annual Golf Tournament
Introductory Teacher Grant Program Distributes Another $10K: we were able to award grants to seven teachers/teams to help fund supplemental educational teaching programs and materials (see article below for more detail)
The Foundation would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Back the Jack campaign and/or participated in one or more of the sponsored events. Because of your support and generosity, we were able to make a significant impact on the educational experience for each and every student at Nickajack (see Mrs. Parks' intro for a list of the programs and initiatives your dollars helped to fund).
We hope everyone has a restful and safe summer and we look forward to kicking off the 2013 - 14 school year with our most successful Back the Jack campaign ever!
The NESF Board
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Congratulations to Meredith Yahne, Foundation President and Volunteer of the Year
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 Meredith Yahne, NES Foundation President, was selected by Nickajack staff and teachers as the Volunteer of the Year. Meredith was recently recognized for her achievement at a luncheon hosted by the Cobb Schools Foundation. In addition to playing an integral role in the creation of our very successful Foundation, Meredith is a dedicated volunteer, helping in virtually every capacity. This award is a testament to her tireless efforts and commitment to making a difference in the lives of every student at Nickajack. Be sure to give Meredith a well-deserved "Congrats!"
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Technology Wrap-up from Mrs. Ashli Lyons
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It has been another fabulous year in the Computer Lab! It's hard to believe summer is already upon us. The students were very successful in their learning and have grown so much! I am so proud of them. This year, all grade levels spent time learning about:
- Internet safety
- Keyboarding
- Storybook mapping
- Career development
They also enjoyed having math competitions with each other using Sumdog.
The secondary grades enjoyed a new site, Kerpoof, where they could write stories, make cartoons, and even videos! We also worked on projects using PowerPoint and learned how to use multiple resources when researching. I will miss these fifth graders as they move on and I look forward to meeting and teaching the new Kindergartners next year.
Thank you for your support this year. Enjoy your summer!
Mrs. Lyons, Technology Instructor
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Inaugural Teacher Grant Program
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In December 2012, thanks to the generosity of Nickajack families, friends, staff and community members, the Foundation awarded grants to 7 of the 10 teachers who applied.
Nearly $10,000 in grants were awarded to the following recipients:
- Mrs. Heflin (on behalf of the entire first grade) for the Units of Study for Teaching Writing from Lucy Calkins
- Mrs. Love for Math Reads (targeting both 1st grade multi-age classes + the ability to share with all 1st grade classrooms)
- Mrs. Wood for Math Reads (targeting the 2nd grade multi-age class + the ability to share with all 2nd grade classrooms)
- Third grade team to enhance learning and teaching through ELMO document cameras (6 total)
- Mrs. Wood for a document camera to enhance the teaching of writing and math problem solving (for the 2nd grade multi-age class & for all 2nd grade teachers to share)
- Mrs. Kordel for the Common Core State Library - Grade 1 (two sets of books to be shared across all 1st grade classrooms)
- Ms. Pfleger & Ms. Mackey for the D.R.E.A.M. Team
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Thank You to All of Our Amazing Sponsors! We Could Not Have Accomplished as Much Without Your Support!
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