A message from John and Melissa Gardiner P’14 ’18 Annual Fund Chairs (2007-2013)
Community is the word we keep coming back to whenever we think about Bement.
The Gardiner Family (left to right) Clarese ’18, Melissa, John, and Emily ’14
Thank you 2011/2012 Annual Fund Volunteers The Annual Fund is a vital component of Bement, as it is used each year to cover all institutional costs. The following volunteers help to raise these important monies for Bement. Our heartfelt thanks go to: Annual Fund Chairs John TT & Melissa Gardiner P’14,’18 n
A N N U A L FU N D C L AS S AM B AS S A D O R S n
Grade K Sara Ardrey
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Grade 1 John Knight
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Grade 2 Sara Riddington
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Grade 3 Jenn Bete
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Grade 4 Lisa Kittredge
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Grade 5 Lori Ott
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Grade 6 Kris Smythe
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Grade 7 Sharron Vaillette
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Grade 8 Joan Roberts
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Grade 9 Michele Torras
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For us, community means a sense of belonging and feeling valued. It’s also a social group that offers support of personal growth and strength. There are endless examples of times where our Bement community has exemplified these traits. We come together to celebrate often, whether it’s the talents of our children on a musical instrument, their acting abilities in a play, or at commencement. We have withstood adversity most recently with Hurricane Irene and the damaging floods. We have prospered and grown with the beautiful addition of our new dorms. In our Bement community, there is so much to be thankful for. Every one of us is special and so much more than just a name or a face. As we set out in September, with our $325,000 Annual Fund goal, it was our community that rose to the challenge. This year the percentage of families contributing to the Annual Fund reached 53%. We remember the start of our journey as annual fund chairs and the parent participation at that time was less than 38%. Our goals seemed daunting. Just look at us now...we have come so far together! This community effort resulted in us exceeding our goal of $325,000 for fiscal year 2012-2013. What an exciting way to end the year and what a great kick-off to a well needed warm summer break. Each and every gift helps to build the wonderful school that our families enjoy. The annual fund is a key part of our budget that closes the gap between what we pay in tuition and the true cost of a Bement education. That gap is approximately $2,000 per student. Every Bement student benefits from the annual fund. We cannot thank each family enough for being part of this community effort. The funding is certainly critical, however, the enthusiasm and spirit that such an effort builds is what makes Bement such a special place. With a debt of gratitude, THANK YOU! Melissa and John Gardiner
Welcome Joe and Kim Butz P’19 as Bement’s new Annual Fund Chairs THANK YOU to all who gave to the annual fund 2012-2013. Without your generosity, we couldn’t have exceeded our goal of $325,000. We are grateful for your support!