2017 - 1st QUARTER NEWSLETTER
|
|
|
Message from our Chair
Richard Cohn
|
|
Hello and welcome to the inaugural edition of the WiSH newsletter!
I’m Richard Cohn and I’m proud and humbled to be the incoming Chairman for the WiSH (William S. Hart) Education Foundation. My wife and I have lived in the Santa Clarita Valley for 16 years and our daughter is a student in the Hart school district. Along with Executive Director Amy Daniels and Lynne Secrest, our Vice Chair, we’re going to work harder than ever to deliver!
Like you, we live here for the schools, community and the people. One of the things that makes our district so fantastic is that we have amazing teachers and administrators who partner to deliver a wide variety of amazing programs for our students, including STEM, Music, Dance, Sports, Performing Arts, as well as various clubs & teams.
A relatively common mistake made during our first years as a local foundation is to associate us with another, more well known, Foundation. Though WiSH is not affiliated with the ‘Make a Wish’ foundation, we are similar in that our mission is to make WiSHes come true…in our case, for the staff and 23,000 students in grades 7-12 of the William S. Hart School District.
As you may know, state funding that our schools receive is not nearly enough to meet the entire needs of the programs and services that are offered. WiSH helps to bridge that gap by funding “WiSHlists” for various schools, including Science apparatus, calculators, books and musical instruments, to name a few. We fund our programs through fundraising at various local events, corporate and individual memberships as well as sponsorships…as it ‘Take s a Village”, we can use your help!
Benefiting the district benefits our students, our communities and helps us continue to attract top talent in teachers, principals and administrators for our kids…our future! Remember that even if you don’t have a child in the district, keeping our schools maintained at these high levels benefits every resident in the valley, as your property values are inextricably tied to the great schools in your neighborhood.
WiSH has a lot of great things planned for the remainder of the year…from our Free Vehicle Raffle, David Bowie Cover Concert and community JetHawks baseball game to of course, our very exciting Cocktails on the Roof event. With the knowledge that your donations are 100% tax deductible and every dollar makes a difference in your student’s classroom, I hope that we can count on your support. Be sure to check
www.WiSHscv.org often to see the latest news and event updates.
I welcome your feedback, input and suggestions…feel free to reach out to our team:
WiSH@hartdistrict.org.
Here’s to a happy and successful New Year!
Cheers,
Richard Cohn
|
|
|
Focus on WiSH
Vice Chair,
Lynne Secrest
|
|
|
Hello! My name is Lynne Secrest and I am thrilled to be the new Vice Chair of this growing, incredibly important foundation. Our board is filled with people who are passionate about our local public school students and we hope you choose to support us in our mission! Your WiSH Education Foundation has been very busy creating unique ways of supporting the 23,000 students of our district. How can you help? Read on…
Focus on WiSH
For our first eNewsletter we thought we’d focus on fundraising and explain how the WiSH Education Foundation receives our funding. Funding falls into one of two key categories – Events and Donations. Events include our fabulous annual
Cocktails on the Roof – this has been a sold out event two years in a row, with our third annual event currently in the planning stages. In addition, WiSH hosts the annual Signal Hoops Finale where all proceeds go to SCV’s Special Education programs and finally, coming up in March, is our second annual AutoNation
Free Vehicle Giveaway. You have the opportunity to win a Free Vehicle from AutoNation just by buying a WiSH raffle ticket.
Do you feel lucky? Click
here for more information.
WiSH funds programs and initiatives that are
not funded by tax dollars alone. It is our mission to get our funding dollars directly into the classroom where it’s needed most. WiSH receives what we call “WiSHlists” from teachers, staff and administration often…and it’s not for paper and pencils. It’s for the
tools that our students need to succeed in the classroom, such as technology, books, advanced placement projects, calculators, programs, etc. The list never ends, and our goal is to never say “no” to a classroom in need.
With an eye towards that lofty goal, it’s imperative that any strong foundation receive 15 – 20% of its annual budget in grant funding. WiSH lost its grant program underwriter a year ago – in a year when our grants reached a whopping 29% of our budget!! Vetting by funders is some serious business and we need our dedicated grant writer back – if your company is able to assist us with this need, we would be thrilled to provide a great deal of exposure in return. Do it for the kids! Contact Executive Director Amy Daniels at
WiSH@hartdistrict.org if you are able to help with this most important program.
In addition, we rely heavily on the generous donations we receive from the following:
- Community Partners – Local businesses like Wolf Creek Brewery, solita, Jersey Mike’s and Cobblestone Cottage periodically donate a percentage of their sales to WiSH. Others like Boston Scientific have paid for the Hart HS computer lab upgrade. California Credit Union and Andy Gump donate money, services and supplies to WiSH.
- Individuals – Donations from people who want to make a positive impact on our kids’ education - like YOU! Won’t you please consider just $25 to make a difference in the classroom? Donate here.
- Corporate Sponsorships – In exchange for media exposure and valuable advertising at our events, local businesses find sponsorships mutually beneficial – and they are investing in their future employees!
- Employee Payroll Deductions – Wm. S. Hart District employees may sign up for payroll deductions and donate a percentage of their paycheck to WiSH every payday. Even 1% makes a difference. If your employer takes part in charitable matching, please consider WiSH for your tax deductible donation!
- Amazon Smile – Great news! Amazon will donate .5% of your purchases to your favorite charity (which we hope is WiSH). Sign up today at www.smile.amazon.com. – find us as William S Hart Education Foundation).
We are proud to share that WiSH Education Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization so your donations are 100% tax-deductible. WiSH has donated over $160,000 to the Wm. S. Hart High School District classrooms over the past four years. We ask that you please donate to WiSH and encourage you to attend one of our upcoming events. If you have donated to WiSH in the past,
Thank you!
Lynne Secrest, Board of Directors Vice Chair
Proud Board Member of WiSH Education Foundation
Please make a difference in local education by clicking below
www.WiSHscv.org
|
|
|
The WiSH Education Funding Focus for the 2017-17 academic year is Special Education/Alternative Education. While that does not preclude us from continuing to fund a variety of programs throughout the district, it does allow us to focus event funding on some of the most fragile students in our district, keeping with our vision to provide the tools for success for every student in addition to the students in our comprehensive schools.
WiSH has been very proud to continue funding the Hart Games, a track and field day for special education students from around the valley. Our Signal HOOPS event continues to benefit those games every year, so be sure to check back for the date and location in March 2017.
WiSH has also been proud to give significant funding to Sequoia School to allow those students access to next generation science standards and important PE and therapeutic support. If you don’t know about Sequoia, we urge you to visit and see what this amazing staff has to offer these incredible students.
WiSH hopes, with your help, to provide funding this semester to a variety of programs throughout the district, including Circle of Friends, which is located at many of the comprehensive schools around the district, pairing mainstream students with special education students to provide support and often resulting in lasting relationships.
We need your help to make a difference. Please give your 100% tax free deduction to WiSH at
www.WiSHscv.org. 45-4705593.
|
|
|
WIN a FREE Chevrolet Cruze from AutoNation!
Once again, AutoNation is generously donating a vehicle to the WiSH Education Foundation and the winner could be YOU!! Tickets available now at
www.WiSHscv.org for only $25 per ticket and there is no limit to the number you can purchase. Please make sure you read the full
rules, available on our website. The winning ticket will be pulled on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at AutoNation Chevrolet Valencia at 5:00pm.
Come on down for the live event, filled with food, music, more raffle prizes and fun!
Learn more about the Free Vehicle Promotion
here.
|
|
|
David Bowie Cover Concert
to be held on April 29th at the
LIMS Studios in Castaic!
DFS3 (David Fernandez Songwriter Salute Series) will again be bringing delight to their many fans with their annual cover concert, this year memorializing the incredible David Bowie! Proceeds from the event will benefit Musical Programs in our schools. Tickets will sell out very quickly and are available now here. Please continue to check back for updated information on
www.WiSHscv.org
and our
WiSH Facebook
page. PLEASE NOTE - CHECK EVENTBRITE WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION!
The David Fernandez Songwriter Salute Series began in 2007 with a vision conceived by band leader/vocalist/guitarist, corporate tax attorney, church and community leader, and loving husband and father, the late David Fernandez.
David was a musical purist who wanted everyone to appreciate the significance of his favorite artists. Letting the music do the talking, he organized an intimate gathering of musician friends to experience the power of songs written by masters of the craft, the first of these being Bob Dylan. David’s concept was an instant hit. Each subsequent salute celebrated songs written and performed by an influential artist or group. David orchestrated the first four salutes culminating with an unforgettable tribute to the music of The Beatles. Though he left us suddenly and much too soon, the “Saluters” continued to carry on the wonderful tradition created by David Fernandez.
Since its inception, the group has produced and hosted 18 salutes celebrating the music of a variety of groundbreaking and influential artists including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, James Taylor, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, The Rolling Stones, Eagles, Elton John, Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, John Hiatt, Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, Billy Joel, and The Kinks. What began as a modest yet spirited backyard get-together featuring 14 musicians has grown steadily in popularity with the next event
April 29, 2017, a Salute to the Music of David Bowie, slated to incorporate more than 50 musicians performing 28 songs for an audience of more than 450 friends of the Saluters, fans of the series, and music enthusiasts.
|
|
|
Signal HOOPS event in the planning stages Now!!
Our best and brightest senior men and women basketball players will once again meet on the court for tournament and half time competitions! All proceeds benefit Special education programs in our valley. Hoops will take place at Saugus High School gym on Thursday, March 30. Games are at 5pm and 7pm. Jersey Mike's will be on hand with subs and waters and snacks will be available for purchase, all donating to special education programs!
This is always a fun family event with snacks, drinks and Jersey Mike’s subs available for purchase!
|
|
|
Cocktails on the Roof 2017
is officially in the planning stages!
SAVE THE DATE!
KEEP CHECKING OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25TH, 2017
|
|
|
Amy Daniels, Executive Director
Richard Cohn, Chair
Lynne Secrest, Vice Chair
Dennis King, Treasurer
Jayme Allsman, Secretary
Ed Masterson
Mia Reed
Lisa Eichman
Jamee Brandt
Judy Penman
|
|
|
John Zaring
Michelle Wagemaker-Dawdy
David Caldwell
Tadd Russikoff
Cherise Moore
Anna Kuyumndzhyan
Rita Bojalian
Russ Briley
Steve Sturgeon
|
|
|
Marlee Lauffer
Rick Gould
Mike Lebecki
Carl Goldman
|
|
|
Steve Corn
Brian Walters
Rob Hall
Hunt C. Braly
Chris Donald
|
|
|
Contact Us
24343 Magic Mountain Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355
661.799.WiSH (9474)
Amy Daniels
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
