CAPITAL CAMPAIGNEn
Alma del Mar Charter AlmaSchool del Mar Charter School 26 Madeira Avenue New Bedford, MA New Bedford, MA March 027462015 (774) 206-6827 info@almadelmar.org www.almadelmar.org
building on success
Karyn Campbell was one of our Founding Trustees. She’s the kind of person that just gets things done. When she agreed to serve on Alma’s Board - before we had any staff, any scholars, or any teachers - it was one of those moments when I just knew that the vision for this school was going to become a reality.
In July 2011, Karyn was up on a ladder painting what would be an Alma classroom. She had two of her teenage kids on the job as well. I think it was ninety degrees that day. The Campbells, alongside a group of our founding families and staff, hustled to get the 100 year old school building ready to receive scholars in a matter of weeks. When we finished painting, we moved in some used school furniture and equipment that a suburban district had donated. On August 19, 2011 we received our certificate of occupancy for the building. On August 22, we opened our doors to serve 120 scholars. Thus ended Alma’s first Capital Campaign! Since then, we’ve doubled in size, growing to serve 240 scholars in grades K-5. We’ve created an urban public school whose scholars consistently perform at high levels. We’ve been recognized as a model of an inclusive, high support and high achieving urban charter school. Our scholars have produced academic work worthy not only of the refrigerator door, but also of our permanent, framed gallery.
Small City, Big Impact: Alma del Mar's Growth Plan
120 scholars 160 scholars 200 scholars 240 scholars 280 scholars 380 scholars 440 scholars 450 scholars grades K-2 grades K-3 grades K-4 grades K-5 grades K-6 grades K-7 grades K-8 grades K-8
When we started this school, we set out to create a public institution that would launch kids in New Bedford - many of whom would otherwise be relegated to under-performing neighborhood schools - on a college trajectory. Now more than ever we’re confident that this mission is attainable. We’ve seen scholars who came to us with little knowledge of the English language learn to read above grade level within two years. We’re watching scholars who others said would always be “at risk” outperform kids with tutors in wealthy suburbs. We’ve heard from Alma parents who insist that this school is the reason why they’re choosing to remain in New Bedford. In the past four years, we’ve built a school community and culture that, like the best parents, combines consistently high expectations with boundless love and joy. We have a diverse team of professional teachers whose shared sense of urgency is matched by the amount of fun they manage to have doing tough work.
We’ve come to a point where our current facilities can no longer contain our growth or adequately serve the needs of this vibrant school community. It’s time that our surroundings match the high quality work of our scholars and teachers. With the help of Mayor Mitchell and the New Bedford City Council, we’ve secured our current site and its 2.3 acres for the long term. We’ve brought on board the talented team at HMFH architects, who share our belief in doing big things at a human scale. Cile Hicks, Jack Braitmayer, Chris Arnold and our other Capital Campaign leaders have stepped up and pledged cornerstone gifts, ensuring a strong foundation for this effort. Now we’re asking each of you - our friends, supporters and advocates - to step up on behalf of our Alma scholars. We’re asking you to show them that they are surrounded by a community that exalts their work and is willing to invest over the long term in their potential. With your help, our scholars will open the doors to their new home for learning in the fall of 2016. The work they do there will be critical to their lifelong success. Let’s get them there. Sincerely, Will Gardner, Exeuctive Director
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
In just a few years, we’ve created a game-changing Since we opened our doors four years ago, Alma del Mar has become the most sought after elementary school in New Bedford. In 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education cited Alma del Mar as an exemplary school in the areas of Access and Equity, and Culture and Family Engagement. We were the subject of a 2015 multimedia case study by the National Charter School Resource Center for our success with English Language Learners. Last year, Alma’s attrition (loss of students over the course of the year) was only five percent - this low rate is half of that of our sending district and well below many of our high performing peer schools in Boston. By investing in relationships with our families and providing a high quality education, we’ve managed to keep families with us, despite serving a mobile population. 2014 Attrition Rate
2014 Percentage of ELL Students
25%
10%
20%
0%
r& e iv
lR
l Fa
lM
e ad
m Al
ar
w Ne
Be
d or f d
s
er rt
a ch
w
Ne
p to
Be
d or f d
pe
ic tr
s
di
on st
o
gB in
m
r rfo
-5 K t
a ch
er rt
0%
ne
m
ll Fa
R
ar
M el
ad
Al & er iv
ELA
Math
40%
2%
k or tw
80%
Combined 3rd & 4th Grade ELA & Math Scores
50%
4%
5%
2014 MCAS % Pro�icient or Advanced
60%
6%
10%
Alma schoalrs are proving that New Bedford kids can achieve at the same level as kids anywhere. Alma consistently outperforms both our sending district and the state average based on the percentage of our scholars who score proficient or advanced on both the ELA and Math MCAS tests. Our scholars perform on par with their suburban peers in math and are rapidly closing the gap with more affluent students in literacy. Last year, our kindergarten scholars scored in the 99th percentile in reading and 97th percentile in math on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, a nationally normed test. We’re not there yet, but we’re well on our way.
70%
8%
15%
school for hundreds of deserving New Bedford kids.
N
ew
Be
d or f d
ch
a
er rt
ls
o
o ch
s
w
Ne
d or f d
Be
p to
r st di g in
rm
fo er
p
5 Kt ic
Bo
on st
ch
a
n er t r
e
k or tw
30% 20% 10% 0%
ct MA ar rict MA i r M st M t f i e of el el dis e o d d d a a rd Stat rd Stat o o m m Al edf Al edf B B w w Ne Ne ar
“Alma del Mar is my children’s future. This is the school.” - Alma Parent Jennifer Mimms
A home worthy of our hard-working scholars For four years, Alma del Mar’s staff and scholars have made their home in a surplussed 100 yearold school building. With the help of world class school architects, we’re designing a new school that reflects the high standards our scholars and teachers hold for themselves and the sense of pride our families take in Alma del Mar.
Maximized for learning Our new building will have: • Lots of small group rooms, specially designed so teachers can meet with small groups within close proximity of the main classroom • A gallery of scholar work featuring high quality final projects and art work • A design that maximizes natural light in our classrooms and hallways and reduce energy usage • More green space for our scholars to play in during recess and for the neighborhood to enjoy when school is not in session • A dedicated bus lane to ensure scholar safety during arrival dismissal • A separate cafeteria large enough to accommodate our growing population and equipped to serve the nutritious meals our scholars need
810 SF
GRADE 3 720 SF
GRADE 3 700 SF
TEACHER WORK 300 SF
GRADE 4
GRADE 4
700 SF
700 SF
TEACHING WALL
KINDERG.
TEACHING WALL
700 SF
700 SF
- Alma Parent
TEACHING WALL
KINDERG.
that my children’s success is just as important to Alma del Mar as it is to me.”
TEACHING WALL
NURSE TLT
KINDERG.
TEACHING WALL
MAIN ELEC
NURSE
TEACHING WALL
ENCLOSED DUMPSTER/ RECEIVING AREA
BOILER
TEACHING WALL
RECEIVING
TEACHING WALL
HATHAWAY STREET
“I love a billion things about Alma, especially the feeling that we are in this together,
GRADE 5 810 SF
SERVERY DATA
GIRLS BOYS
OFFICE
OFFICE
200 SF
150 SF
UP
CAFETERIA 2340 SF
DN
TEACHING WALL
UP
RECEPTION
Millwork Bench
Circulation
HEAD OF SCHOOL
LIBRARY
720 SF
810 SF
Core Academic/ Classrooms WATER
GYM
OFFICE
BLDG STOR
GRADE 5
CO-CURRICULAR
Community / Shared
CONF
710 SF
Mechanical / Support Special Education
BOYS
Toilet Rooms
BOYS
CUST
CUST CHAIR STOR
CO-CURRICULAR
CO-CURRICULAR
810 SF
810 SF
GIRLS GYM STOR
DATA STAFF TLT STAFF TLT
First floor plans
720 SF
Second floor plans
GRADE 8 700 SF
DN
GRADE 7 700 SF
GRADE 7 700 SF
TEACHING WALL
700 SF
810 SF
GRADE 8
DN
TEACHING WALL
GRADE 1
GRADE 1
150 SF
TEACHING WALL
700 SF
TEACHING WALL
GRADE 1
TEACHING WALL
700 SF
UP DN
TEACHING WALL
720 SF
TEACHING WALL
TEACHING WALL
DN
GRADE 2
TEACHING WALL
OFFICE
TEACHING WALL
UP
OUND
GRADE 2
720 SF
STAFF TLT ELEV M
BE LL VIL LE AV EN UE
ELEC
GRADE 6
GIRLS
TEACHING WALL
2990 SF
Administration
GRADE 6 810 SF
Like the goals our scholars set for themselves, As a charter school, we receive virtually no public money for capital needs. That means we rely almost entirely on funders like you to provide the equity for our capital needs. Every dollar you give our Capital Campaign will be further leveraged by public financing - to the benefit of our growing population of scholars. Funding Sources
Expenses
School Contributions (state aid set aside over 4 years) Financing (tax exempt bonds) Capital Campaign Donor Contributions
$600,000
$12,500,000 $3,400,000 TOTAL: $16,500,000
our Capital Campaign is ambitious AND achievable. We need donors at every level in order to make this dream a reality. $400,000
Acquisition Costs $221,000 Construction Costs $13,286,600 Soft Costs $2,992,500 TOTAL COSTS $16,500,000
$300,000
$400,000
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
We want our new home ready in time to graduate our first class of scholars. $200,000 $200,000
Will you help make it happen? To make a donation to Alma del Mar’s Capital Campaign:
• visit www.almadelmar.org • contact Development Director Cara Beller at carabeller@almadelmar.org or (774) 292-0949 • mail a check made payable to “Alma del Mar” to 26 Madeira Ave., New Bedford, MA 02746
$200,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Keeping our resources in the classroom
Campaign Supporters as of March 2015
Using efficient design, we can build this school at a fraction of the cost of the price of some recent district schools in Massachusetts, allowing us to keep our resources in the classroom where they belong.
Alma del Mar Charter School (projected cost)
Lucile & Bill Hicks
Strategic Grant Partners
Patrick Carney Family Foundation
Hingham Middle School
Robert Evans
Duxbury Middle & High School $0
Amelia Peabody Foundation
Anonymous
Stow Center School
Quincy Central Middle School
Please join us in thanking these generous donors who have already contributed gifts and pledges in support of our Capital Campaign.
Randolph & Nancy Stainer
$20,000
$40,000 $60,000 Cost per pupil
$80,000
$100,000
Jack & Nancy Braitmayer
Chris & Trish Arnold
Priscilla & Allan Ditchfield
Jan Baptist David Cabral
Ed & Barbara Haddad Ernest Mudarri Haddad
Bill & Mary Jean Blasdale
Bronwen Cunningham & Robert Booth
Jeanne & Breckenridge Eagle Kris & Jim Tomlinson
Martha Kay
Jim & Bess Hughes
Every gift is important and will be recognized in Alma del Mar’s Annual Report and Capital Campaign materials. All gifts of $5,000 or greater will be recognized in a permanent way in the new building. Naming opportunities are available for all major spaces commensurate with the level of gift. If you are interested in discussing a major gift or naming opportunities, please contact Executive Director Will Garder at: willgardner@almadelmar.org.
Board of Trustees 2014-2015: Chris Arnold, Chairman Jan Baptist Mary Jean Blasdale, Secretary David Cabral, Treasurer Bronwen Cunningham Jeanne Eagle Lucile Hicks Martha Kay Kris Tomlinson Robert Unger
Leadership 2014-2015: Will Gardner, Founder & Executive Director Emily Stainer, Head of School Elizabeth Leiwant, Director of Academic Support Cara Beller, Development Director Lourdes Gonzalez, Director of Operations Rebecca Cotugno, Literacy Department Chair Kyla Spindler, Math Department Chair
Advisory Council 2014-2015: Jack Braitmayer Chad Brubaker John Camera Karyn Campbell Barbara Cook Priscilla Ditchfield Ed Haddad Gerry Kavanaugh Jim Hughes Dennis Keefe Jay Lanagan Judith Li Carolyn Nu単ez Ozcan David Prentiss Mark Rasmussen Ralf Rho Maria Rosario Anthony Sapienza