FEBRUARY | 2018

IN  THIS ISSUE
StPats
JOIN US AT OUR ST. PATRICK'S DAY SOIREE!
Join the Northville Educational Foundation on  Saturday, March 17, 2018, 7:00-11:00 pm at Meadowbrook Country Club.

Presented by  Community Financial Credit Union and sponsored by several other wonderful supporters.
 
Enjoy this evening of friends, food and fun, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and all of the amazing work done throughout the year to benefit Northville students, educators and staff. 
 
This lucky evening will feature
~ Epicurean delights of Meadowbrook Country Club, including heavy 
    hors d'oeuvres and Irish fare station,
~ An open bar*
~ Complimentary valet parking,
~ Lively entertainment, including Irish dancers and DJ,
~ Silent auction,
~ . . . . .and more!!
*This St. Patrick's Day event is for 21 and older.
 
Tickets are $100 

Proceeds benefit the Northville Educational Foundation and the many initiatives it supports for Northville Public Schools educators and students.

For more information and to purchase tickets please go to  www.SupportNEF.org

We hope to see you on March 17 th !
 
Thank you also to our sponsors thus far! If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, 


Generous Silent Auction Donors:
Sylvan Learning ~ Tom Holzer Ford ~ Kennedy Nemier Insurance Agency
Jaghabs & Associates, DDS ~ The Business of Image
African Safari Wildlife Park ~ Dearborn Inn ~ High Velocity Sports
AnnualFund
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
       PLEASE DONATE TO NEF'S ANNUAL FUND!
               HELP US GO "FULL S.T.E.A.M. AHEAD!" 


Being a top school district does not happen by accident.  We need you. Northville Public Schools relies on  NEF  and the generosity of parents, businesses, educators, and the community, to remain strong. 
   
That is why the Northville Educational Foundation has gone Full STEAM Ahead! this year for our students and we need your help!

So as you think about what to do with that profit sharing check, bonus you just received, or tax refund, please consider giving back to your community and your schools by donating to NEF.

Your tax-deductible donation to NEF is an investment in the future of our students, and also in our capacity to meet the needs of the District. 

Double your donation by checking out if your company has a matching gift program. To learn more,  click here.

We want to raise $85,000 for STEAM and other programs such as:
  • Innovative Teaching Grants
  • The Village Workshop Cooperative Program
  • Project Lead the Way programming
  • The Fourth Annual STEAM Fair
  • Assistant grants, training and more. (To learn more, click here.)
  • And, if we reach that goal, a new STEAM Lab at NHS! 
Your tax-deductible donation to NEF is an investment in our kids and their future. Every  gift matters!  Our campaign goal is 
to raise at least $35 per student. If you can donate more, please do! However, no matter the size of your donation, your gift will help make a difference in the lives of our students  by creating new learning opportunities that develop and enrich our young students' minds.  
To donate now, click here .

To learn more about each program,  click here .
To learn more about how you can help equip the STEAM Lab, 
click here .

Games
JUST PLAYING GAMES

A special thank you to Dr. Bryan for letting us reprint this wonderful article that she originally wrote for her school's newsletter, The Penguin's Raft. 

by Dr. Denise Bryan, Principal of Moraine Elementary

Do your children play board games? Do you have family game nights? I hope you do, and I hope that on those unexpected, but oh so exciting snow days a board game or two is part of your day.

Many of you know that Moraine second through fifth grade teachers are working with a math coach, Dr. Carrie Zielinski. Dr. Zielinski meets with Moraine teachers regularly to talk about pedagogical practices that raise the rigor of math instruction in the classroom, and practices that allow students to develop deep critical thinking skills in the area of Math. Recently, in a conversation with Dr. Zielinski she mentioned two games that, in her opinion, should be in every home: Sequence and Memory. Do you have these games in your home? Recognizing patterns is a huge part of foundational mathematics.  The game Sequence, or Sequence Jr. for younger children, helps students build the ability to recognize patterns and to think strategically. The game "Memory" builds working memory skills and visual discrimination skills - both important for Math and other learning.

Last winter, I had my grandchildren age 3 and 6 visiting on a very cold winter day.  It was too cold to play outside so we played Uno. The 3 year old could recognize numbers and colors, so with some help from me she played well. Much to her brother's chagrin she won three times in a row - precipitating a melt down from big brother who assumed that because he was older he'd win. What valuable learning! In order for children to learn to persist, to lose gracefully, and to deal with disappointment, they need to make some mistakes. Children need to experience some disappointment, and they need to lose once in a while.  I certainly wouldn't set it up so children lose, but if it happens, this is a valuable learning opportunity! In the case of my grandchildren - little sister was delighted to help big brother with this important learning!

Last week CNN had an article about the importance of board games along with a list of age appropriate games for elementary students.  You can read the article here:  It's All Fun and Games - CNN.  

A brilliant tip from the author of the CNN article is that he takes board and card games to restaurants with his family to "fill the torturous 23 minutes while waiting for food to arrive." Honestly. Why has this never occurred to me? These days we all think of bringing an ipad or a book when we anticipate a wait, but do we ever think of bringing along Go Fish, Uno, or Memory? I know we have a travel checkers game somewhere. It's likely time to dig that out for ou r next family dinner out!


If you're a parent with pre-schoolers, check out this list of age appropriate games. Board games teach young children counting, colors, and most importantly - self-regulation skills.



Additionally, the We Are Teachers website has a list of the 16 Best Board Games for Preschoolers .

TechCrunch, a technology website, has a list of non-tech oriented board games for children and families "guaranteed to get you off the ipad." I find it interesting that a technology website recognizes the importance of verbal conversational skills that are fostered by board games.


Who knows what the weather in February will bring? Historically, February is the snowiest month. We may once again find ourselves homebound by a snow day, or bitter cold temperatures before this winter is over. You may also find yourselves at a restaurant waiting the interminable "23 minutes of torture" until the food arrives. Check out some board games and enrich your child's learning, and your family relationships in a fun way!

EasyWaysHelp
OTHER EASY WAYS TO HELP THE
    NORTHVILLE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

Shopping Rewards

Some retailers offer a rewards program to customers who shop with them, and provide an opportunity to have a percentage of your expenditures donated to a charity of your choosing, like NEF.  NEF is now set up with  Busch's Kroger,
and  AmazonSmile to benefit from their shopping rewards programs.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to connect your Busch's MyWay and Kroger Plus accounts to NEF as a way to raise money every time you shop.

Click here and sign into your Amazon account and they will d onate to Northville Educational Foundation.

Corporate Matching Gift Program 

Many companies will match employee gifts to educational foundations and institutions. It is a great way to double your donation!  

Please check with your employer  before  you donate. Often, corporations have specific guidelines and require that the employee initiate the matching gift process, not the non-profit.

Your employer may request our EIN to process the matching funds. NEF's EIN is 38-3503644.

Facebook


Please "like" our page and "share" our posts on Facebook. Help spread the word about the events and campaigns NEF leads, to raise money for initiatives that support NPS students and educators! We can not do it without you! Click here to like our Facebook page. Thank you!
 


However you help or support the 
Northville Educational Foundation, 
THANK YOU! 


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ComingSoon
COMING SOON!         

Mark your calendars for the following, upcoming events!

Fourth Annual STEAM Fair 
Wednesday, April 25, Hillside Middle School
Family and Community Event, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Hundreds of  thinkers, dreamers, creators and inventors   -- students from Northville Public Schools --  will share their "tinkerings" with peers, and the community, in this one-day Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) Fair! 

This year, students will stretch their imaginations, use their quills, codes, contraptions, concoctions, compositions -- and dream up their own creation, 
create it, and then guide others to experience it!

Partnering on this event,   the  Northville Educational Foundation  and Northville Public Schools  are committed to encouraging and inspiring students in the  district to explore STEAM degrees and careers.

Click here for more information. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Thursday, May 24th, 2018
Premiere Eve nt, Emagine Theater

The next Star Wars movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, is being released in May and you can be one of the first to see it.  In order to keep up with the changes at Emagine, we will be offering electronic tickets you can print at home and reserved seats!   Stay tuned!

Click here  to check out the movie trailer.

Sponsors
THANK YOU TO OUR 2017-18 CORPORATE SUPPORTERS THUS FAR!

Northville Educational Foundation  |  248.344.3503  |  www.SupportNEF.org
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