June 25, 2019
SVEF
What's new at the Foundation
and in our schools
A Note From Our Executive Director
In our last newsletter, we celebrated the end of the school year...but lots of activity still continues throughout the summer! The Summer Literacy Academy is up and running at the Prestwood School campus with close to 300 1st through 3rd grade students working to strengthen their reading and writing skills. The Y.E.S Program, designed to offer a meaningful summer work experience for high school students, is also underway with 16 students participating this year. The SV Education Foundation is proud to support both of these summer programs!

At our own offices, we welcomed three talented SVHS summer interns: Paige (a rising junior), Justin and George (both just graduated in June). They will be helping us with everything from Red & White Ball planning, to working on our database, to helping create program brochures. They are a terrific help to us, and we hope to provide them with valuable work experience this summer.

And of course, let’s not forget the exciting news about our new High School principal, Alberto Solorzano . I had the privilege of participating in one of the early interviewing rounds, and was very impressed by the community involvement in the entire process. We look forward to working with Mr. Solorzano !  

Enjoy your summer, and thank you for your continued support of our local schools!

~Mary Favaro
SVEF summer interns from left: Paige Moore, George Stewart and Justin Cox
High Schoolers Learning About Government and Civic Engagement in Y.E.S Program

Currently underway this summer is the Youth Engagement Seminar (Y.E.S), a two week seminar co-sponsored by the City of Sonoma, the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sonoma Valley High School and the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. This program is designed to teach high school students about local government and civic engagement. “Everything we’ve done has taught me a lot about government and how things operate,” explained SVHS rising sophomore Gavin Rognlien. 

The 16 students enrolled in the program have put on mock city council meetings, attended both city council and town hall meetings, and have even spoken to government officials such as Sonoma County Board of Supervisors representative Susan Gorin. The students have also learned important social skills, as junior Yanell Velazquez explained, “It has taught me a lot about introductions and personal interaction. I definitely think these skills will be helpful in my future with employment.” 


Red & White Ball Sponsorship:
HAMEL FAMILY WINES
Principal Sponsor
Hamel Family Wines works to create only the highest quality wines from grapes grown locally on their Sonoma Valley and Moon Mountain district estate vineyards. They continue to be truly appreciative of their guests, mindful of their neighbors and determined to produce the finest wines possible. 
 
Address: 15401 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: 707-996-5800
Sonoma Valley Education Foundation is proud to have Hamel Family Wines as a Principal Sponsor of the Red & White Ball!
Have you purchased your tickets to the Red & White Ball?
Purchase your Red & White Ball tickets today and get your early bird discount! Prices increase July 1st.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER? WE NEED YOU!

Students and adults are invited to explore our volunteer opportunities. Click each button below to check them out:
SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE!
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here for sponsorship information.

The Red & White Ball
August 24, 2019, 5:00pm
Sonoma Plaza
Featuring a family style dinner by Stellar Catering and
music from the ever-popular Wonder Bread 5!

See you at the Ball!
Make SVEF Your Charity of Choice on Amazon Smile

Your Amazon purchases can result in money for our students and programs! SVEF's goal is to get 1,000 people to sign up for Amazon Smile at smile.amazon.com . After designating Sonoma Valley Education Foundation as your charity of choice (it's only necessary to make this designation one time), your eligible Amazon purchases will benefit Sonoma's students. Be sure to log in to smile.amazon.com every time you shop Amazon. Thank you for your support!

THANK YOU TO OUR 2019 BUSINESS PARTNERS
Educate. Enhance. Advance.  
The mission of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation is to enrich the student experience by partnering with the Sonoma Valley Unified School District as the primary fundraising and volunteer resource for innovative programs. We focus on results and report to our donors and community
Sonoma Valley Education Foundation
(707) 935-9566