Foundation generosity benefits schools

Joan MacQueen Middle School principal Casey Currigan (left) and Lillian Manning.

At the close of the 2018-19 school year, Alpine Union School District had its share of challenges: Alpine Elementary School was permanently closed, two principals were being phased out, and Boulder Oaks Elementary School was being eyeballed for some major facil­ity updates. Fast forward about four months and the district has received a strong infusion of funding, STEAM kits and supplies from Alpine Education Foundation, all of which was celebrated at the AEF Presi­dent’s Reception held at the Al­pine VFW post on Sept. 25.

Superintendent Rich New­man observed that the relation­ship between AEF and AUSD is a great partnership.

“I just want to take a few mo­ments to say I couldn’t be more proud of the work that we do in partnership with the Alpine Education Foundation,” New­man said.

Alpine Education Foundation Board President Jessica Man­ning opened the evening’s for­mal presentation with a video illustrating foundation contri­butions to AUSD last year that included supplies for gardening programs, funding for school camps at Wright’s Field, and $27,000 in block grants that were given to enhance educa­tional programs over the 2018-19 school year.

In between rounds of applause for the science programs, at­tendees chuckled at the men­tion of the Punkin’ Chunkin’ project where students learned the mechanics of a trebuchet while studying medieval his­tory by launching the orange gourds as far as they would go.

VFW Quartermaster Carl Sil­va said that programs like that are what make school fun.

“I wish I was a kid growing up here,” Silva said.

After donors were invited up in groups of Granny Smith, Fiji and Golden Delicious levels of sponsorship and thanked for their contributions, Manning announced upcoming founda­tion plans.

According to the board of directors, more than $100,000 in donations has been raised for the 2019-20 school year, a $40,000 increase from last year.

The new funding has already been applied toward fulfilling AEF’s vision for this year: 1,000 STEM lab kits donated to as­sist with lesson plans in micros­copy, biology and chemistry, programs connecting music to math, and a newly announced partnership with San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum.

Additionally, 25 laptops and an accompanying grant for MobyMax, Raz Kids and Ro­setta Stone software programs were listed among the donations for Creekside Early Learning Center, as well as flexible seat­ing for the wiggliest of little learners.

Boulder Oaks Elementary school received funding for learning software to include RazKids, and incoming princi­pal Casey Currigan of Joan Mac­Queen Middle School was given new sets of two-way radios to as­sist with communication on the largest campus in the district.

“Our campus is huge and this helps out so much,” Currigan said.

Following the formal presen­tation of awards, local rock band Anesthetix, a group of 16-year old musicians added some teen­age styling to the event by play­ing loud tunes with long electric guitar solos.

“The bottom line is our chil­dren’s education: we need to maintain standards here as well as throughout the county. I think if you take a look around our country nowadays, you’ll find that some things are chal­lenged and I believe that this community can provide a very strong foundation for families to grow and prosper,” said AEF Director Victor Woods.

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