The San Juan Education Foundation wants all teachers to know that they will continue to have access to RAFT (Resource Area For Teachers) through February as a result of the membership purchased for them last year by the Foundation. Fall grants will be announced in mid-October. The delay is the result of a deadline extension to give teachers more time to submit fall applications. The San Juan Education Foundation has several new initiatives this year that they hope will raise money for programs in your classrooms. In addition to fundraising events and other community and parent outreach, the Foundation can benefit from district employee payroll deductions. For a minimal amount each month, you can make a huge difference in the educational opportunities of your students. The San Juan Education Foundation has been named as being eligible for a $100,000 challenge grant from the Morgan Family Foundation, so every dollar up to that amount will be matched 1:1. Please contribute what you can (even $5 a month) as every dollar counts! The Foundation is also developing a network of School Ambassadors. Please send any recommendation for your school to Gayle Hensler at gaylehensler@yahoo.com San Juan Education Foundation SAN JUAN TEACHERS RECEIVE INNOVATIVE LEARNING GRANTS FROM SAN JUAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION New Community-Based Foundation Supports Science, Technology and the Arts November 14, 2008…Eighteen teachers from throughout the San Juan Unified School District will be able to offer their students an innovative learning experience thanks to sixteen grants recently awarded by the San Juan Education Foundation (SJEF). These grants will help fund classroom programs in science, technology and the arts. SJEF, an independent, non-profit community organization formed as a link between the community and schools in the San Juan Unified School District, awarded grants totaling $40,000 as part of its ongoing grant program to support teacher-initiated classroom opportunities that will creatively challenge San Juan students and nurture their desire to learn. Some of the projects that will benefit from the grants include researching environmental issues impacting California’s watershed, using digital music and animation, creating film and broadcast experiences, using physical science concepts to develop working rockets, and collaborating on art and technology projects with a Mexican orphanage, among others. Teachers received individual learning grants to $1,000 and Project Based Learning Grants of up to $5,000. A full list is below. Schools receiving the grants include Citrus Heights Elementary, El Camino High School, Encina High School, Gold River K-8, Mira Loma High School, Northridge Elementary, Schweitzer Elementary, Starr King Elementary, Twin Lakes Elementary, Will Rogers Middle School, Woodside Elementary and La Entrada Continuation School. “As California threatens to balance its budget deficit by cutting an additional $2.5 billion from school funding when California is already ranked 47th in the country in per-pupil spending, we believe it is critically important to do everything we can as members of the Sacramento community to enrich the classroom experience and offer support to teachers who want to use their creativity and innovation to challenge their students,” said SJEF Board Chair Stephanie Couch. The Foundation’s Board is comprised of community, business and education leaders, including members of the San Juan Unified School District Board and the retired Superintendent of Schools, who bring professional expertise, knowledge of community resources and the creativity necessary for a fresh approach to helping teachers help their students to thrive. For more information about how to apply for grants and about the San Juan Education Foundation, please visit www.sanjuanfoundation.org <http://www.sanjuanfoundation.org> . About the grant recipients: Project Based Learning Grants: Janet Simpson, Encina High School Linda Nix, Gold River K-8 School Wendy Esquival, Starr King Elementary School Jane Henderson, Will Rogers Middle School Brenda Grueneberger and Steve Cox, Mira Loma High School Tom Jewell, La Entrada Continuation School Innovative Learning Grants and Field Experience Grants Chad Atkinson, El Camino High School Jeannette Smith, Northridge Elementary School Joni Stein/Linda Ferguson, Schweitzer Elementary School Kirsten Price, Starr King Elementary School Martha Coe, Starr King Elementary School Gail Kopp, Twin Lakes Elementary School Noelle Lehnhard, Woodside Elementary School David Erickson, Palos Via Continuation High School Vanessa Liby, Citrus Heights Elementary School Jim Carvalho, Orangevale Open Elementary School