Dear Friends,

The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation is here to support our students and schools during these unprecedented school closures. During this time, we’ll be working with the District to help with food security for families and with distance learning. We’ll also be communicating more frequently with you so we can provide links to school and community communication that’s relevant to our students and their families.  

Having students learn from home can be challenging!
 As school districts across the country figure out how best to implement distance learning, many nonprofits and other organizations are creating free and reduced cost resources for in-home learning. Below, we’re providing links to some great resources - several of them local - for creating your own learning plans. Check them out!

Stay well!

Mary Favaro
Executive Director
SVEF Initiatives
Grocery Gift Cards For Students and Their Families

Continued good news on the meal-distribution front: The School District is expanding their services to include any child between 0-18 years old in their meal pick-up service during the school closures! (See link below.) Meanwhile, SVEF continues to raise funds and provide grocery gift cards at the meal pick-ups, which have been serving more than 500 families each day!
Speaking of grocery gift cards...they are now in the hands of school families! The first gift cards were delivered to families today at the school's meal pick-ups. This program is ongoing and, thanks to the continued support of our grocery business partners (Safeway, Lucky, Whole Foods, Sonoma Market & Glen Ellen Market), as long as we receive donations for this program, we will continue to purchase and distribute the grocery gift cards.
To date we have received nearly $40,000 for this cause! Thank you so much for your support!

Click below if you'd like to contribute.
Internet Access for Distance Learning

The results of SVUSD's family technology survey from a few years ago indicates that up to 40% of district families do not have reliable internet access at home. This obstacle to universal distance education makes it difficult for the district to implement consistent instruction remotely. Through the support of generous donors, the Ed Foundation is currently working with the District to purchase up to 200 WiFi hotspots to help provide reliable internet service for Sonoma Valley students so that instruction can continue remotely in an equitable manner. There will be more to report on this in the coming week as the hotspots are delivered and distributed.
Schools and District Communications
Recent communications from the School District include the following information:
SVUSD Announces Extension of School Closures to May 1
SVUSD Announces Meal Service Guidelines to Include All Kids Aged 0-18
Community Information and Links
Community Leaders Join to Launch Broad-Based Coalition For Food Security

Sonoma Valley Looking For Community Volunteers

Connect with the above resources on social media for up-to-date information on meal distribution locations, volunteer opportunities, and other ways to help. Follow @SonomaValleyTogether on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Homeschool Resources
If you are looking for supplemental curriculum for your students at home, below are links to a few high quality, comprehensive educational resources.

Homeschool Buyers Co-Op

Learning Resources Prepared by Sonoma County Farm Bureau

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Offers  ARTS@Hom e for Art-Focused Lessons

Transcendence Theatre Company Offers TTC EDU Learn @ Home Online Arts Curriculum for Grades 1-5
Business Partners Doing Amazing Things
Get Exercise For the Benefit of Others

There’s an easy, fun and healthy way to support our Grocery Gift Card program: KOB Pilates + Yoga Owner and SVEF Board Member Kinh O'Brien is offering workout classes in March via Zoom, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to SVEF in support of Sonoma students during the school closures! (Additionally, Kinh will offer classes the following week with 100% of the proceeds going toward Sonoma's Crescent Montessori School's Tuition Scholarship Fund.)

Click here to see the schedule and learn how to join the classes via Zoom and how to make your donations:
Thank you for supporting our students during this challenging time!