July 2024 APSF Newsletter by Albany Public Schools Foundation

KEEPING UP WITH PEELY

July School Supply Drive

Drop off new, unused and unopened school supplies at the Albany Historic Carousel or at Willamette Valley Bank, and get a FREE ride card to the Carousel throughout the month of July!

Congrats to All APSF Scholarship Winners!

We attended all 3 high schools’ Senior Award Ceremonies this year to award a total of $232,000 in scholarships.

2024 Grant Project Highlights

APSF awarded more than $233,800 in grants this past school year! Grants support education-enriching projects and materials in schools across the district. Check out some of the awesome projects we funded!

Summer Salutations from the Foundation!

I hope your summer is off to a great start and you are enjoying time with friends and family

We are so proud and excited how our summer began As school ended, my team and I had the distinct honor of presenting at our three local high schools- South Albany High School, West Albany High School and Albany Options, over $232,000.00 in scholarships to graduating seniors. A huge thank you to our donors and business sponsors for supporting APSF and the youth in Albany. The ceremonies were touching and inspiring, and we are so proud to be a part these students’ lives. We are always looking for more donors to help support our scholarship program. If you are interested, please reach out to me.

Did you know that we have a Student Assistance Program that supports graduating seniors pursuing their secondary education? These students are chosen by their school and are eligible to apply for a scholarship to help with tuition costs. The students are also assigned a mentor for their first year of college who will assist them in preparing for college The mentor receives a budget to help provide the students with laptops, dorm room supplies, and anything else they might need to have a successful transition from high school to college The mentors are there to support and encourage these students and we couldn’t be more appreciative of them If you would like to support our Student Assistance Program, your donation can be earmarked for SAP

Peely’s Supply House is OPENING Fall 2024 We are proud to announce that our Teacher Resource Center will be opening up to help support teachers in the GAPS district We all know teachers spend way too much money out of their own pocket to help students be successful. Part of that success is having the tools that students need for their classroom. Our supply house will have supplies that teachers can request at no cost. We need your help to keep the supplies well stocked. As you are out and about this summer, please consider picking up supplies while they are at a discounted price. Drop them off at our office OR we are partnering with the Albany Historic Carousel & Museum , Albany Regional Museum and Willamette Community Bank as drop off locations. (see details in this newsletter). Thank you, community partners. We appreciate you!

iCelebrate is quickly approaching! Be sure to join us on September 28th for our iCelebrate Gala and Live Auction. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary with rubies and red carpet. Upon your arrival on our red carpet, you will receive a welcome drink from Camille of Camille’s Bistro followed by a photo taken by our professional photographer, Tony Sheler with ASHDR Photography The Silent Auction will be open upon your arrival so you can start placing your bids We will be serving up a delicious BBQ buffet dinner followed by our Live Auction where you will find some amazing things Please consider joining us for our gala and help support the Albany Public Schools Foundation Get your tickets now! Thanks to all of our sponsors and a big thanks to our amazing presenting sponsor, Honeymint Pediatric Dentistry

Save the date…. iRun returns March 15th, 2025. Get your walking or running shoes on and join us as we bring back this community favorite!!

In closing, the Foundation needs your support. In order for us to do what we do for the students in our community, we need you! Consider starting a scholarship, sponsoring an event, start a monthly reoccurring donation, or start an endowment so that your giving keeps on giving. Let’s meet for lunch and discuss.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Congratulations to all APSF Scholarship Winners!

The APSF attended the Senior Awards Ceremonies at WAHS, SAHS, and AOS in early June to award 141 scholarships worth $232,000 to some very deserving students. We are very honored to be able to help these graduates achieve their dreams of higher education. We appreciate the efforts of our scholarship readers, who helped us review the 3,764 applications we received from 172 students! We would also like to express our deepest gratitude for the many individuals and businesses in our community who fund these scholarships. Thank you for making such a difference for Albany’s youth!

We’re always looking for new scholarship donors. Of the 172 students who applied this year, we were only able to fund 100 of them. You can establish a scholarship for as little as $500 in the name of a family member, friend, or your business. Help us impact even more students next year! Contact Peggy at executive@albanypsf.org or 541-979-2773 ext. 1 to learn more.

LookforourboothinsideWillametteHall!

Saturday, June 22nd was a Busy Day!

Staff at the APSF split up and attended both Albany Pride and the North Albany IGA Summer Block Party, both of which were all day events. It was such a fun day connecting with the community, and getting to see so many smiling faces!

Hosting a party, BBQ, or just a fun gathering this summer?

Pick up one (or more) of our Blue Bottle Drop Bags and help support us! They’re FREE! We’re happy to give you as many as you’d like. All you have to do is fill it up with your bottles and cans, and drop it off at any Bottle Drop center, and the funds will be deposited into our account. To get your bags: Call 541-979-2773 or email marketing@albanypsf.org

APSF Grant Project Highlights

APSF awarded more than $233,800 in grants this past school year! Grants support education-enriching projects and materials in schools across the district. Three types of grant opportunities are available: Enrichment Grants, for projects with a school-wide or multi-classroom impact

Classroom Grants, for individual classrooms or school areas (like the library or counseling center) Big Impact Grants, for projects that connect two or more schools Grants give teachers and administrators the resources to implement projects that don’t fit into the regular budget.

Your support helps us fund projects like these throughout the year!

Finding Nemo, Jr at Calapooia Middle School

Grant funds helped purchase costumes and materials to build the puppets Student comments included: “This was an amazing theater experience.” “You’ve helped me improve so much throughout the year.” “I learned new skills and had a good experience.”

Sensory Bins for the Child Development Program at West Albany High School

Earlier sensory bins for this program used materials like rice, dried beans, or shredded paper. Grant funds purchased more creative STEAM-inspired materials to give the preschoolers and the child development students more opportunities to use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) concepts in the classroom.

PE Equipment for High School Student Leaders at South Albany High School

Grant funds purchased PE equipment like the games that students play in elementary school. “My students had an AMAZING time with this class using this equipment. Many mentioned they felt like they were reliving their elementary school memories. We were able to visit four different elementary schools, giving our students the opportunity to engage with future Redhawk students and give back to the schools they attended when they were young. Thanks again!”

Ecospheres at Albany Options School

Grant funds purchased microscopes and supplies for the biology class to build ecospheres and observe microorganisms. “In previous years, we made do with minimal materials, and students were limited in their observations without microscopes. Now, with the microscopes, the students found more enjoyment in looking for all of the living organisms within their ecospheres.”

PE Equipment for Functional Skills Students at Meadow Ridge Elementary

Grant funds purchased PE equipment designed for special-needs students. “The students in the FSC class absolutely loved having the giant mighty lite balls and the double scooter boards. There are some students that don’t usually participate in PE but were up on their feet chasing the ball while laughing and having fun! Thank you for supporting our adaptive PE!”

School Garden at Meadow Ridge Elementary School

Grant funds purchased supplies to add to the new school garden. “We had a community of volunteers, staff and students who donated countless hours to making this project a success. It was amazing to see everyone coming together to help build and grow our garden.”