Twelve years ago a group of port street dads recognized a fundamental need at Andersen Elementary. Although it was a good school, with great teachers, administrators, and volunteer parents, it didn’t have all the resources that it needed. This group of pioneering dads saw an opportunity to fill a gap of resources that the public school system couldn’t. Since 1997 these dads and many parents like you have raised over $3M dollars to improve Andersen Elementary. My hats off to all of you who have made a difference in this award winning school, which now boasts technology superior to any school in Orange County. Many of you have given generously and more importantly volunteered your time to this school and this community to make it a better place. The first of those 1997 kindergarteners that received the benefits of your generosity and compassion now stand ready to graduate from Corona Del Mar and other schools and move on to some of the best colleges in the country like: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Duke, Georgetown and many others that we dream about sending our kids to.
Last year, in one of the toughest fundraising environments in decades the DEANS Foundation raised over $420,000 (which decreased 20% year over year) from your membership and the various fundraising events scattered through the year. This allowed the DEANS to continue to fund teacher and teacher aide positions that would not otherwise be available to our school. These include additional staff to support Language Arts, Mathematics, Technology, Science and the new Spanish Language Program. Capital improvements like the new Oasis Shade Structure are also funded with your DEANS dollars. The DEANS also continued to fund support for the significant technology upgrades made in the classrooms last year, with every room being equipped with a ceiling mounted LCD player, Smart Boards and Digital Document Cameras. This focus on technology has been a key initiative of the DEANS strategic plan and Andersen continues to stand on par or ahead of any other public school in Orange County in terms of access to technology.
The DEANS Foundation spent $720 for every student at Andersen Elementary and here is how we spent the money you donated last year by category:
Language Arts/Reading/Writing Specialist Teachers:
$138,000 (33% of budget)
Teacher Aides to support classrooms: $59,000 (14% of budget)
Technology Specialist and Technology Technician: $38,000 (9% of budget)
Spanish Program Development & Spanish Teachers: $35,000 (8% of budget)
Technology Hardware and Software: $28,000 (7% of budget)
Basic School Supplies, Insurance & Fees: $30,000 (7% of budget)
Teacher Allowances for Extra Classroom Supplies: $12,000 (3% of budget)
Math & Science Specialist Teachers: $10,000 (2% of budget)
The commitment shown from parents, teachers and staff continue to make Andersen Elementary the top school in Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD), one of the finest public schools in Orange County and the entire State of California. The API test score achieved for the 2007/2008 school year (951) was the highest in our school’s history and the highest in NMUSD.
As much work and effort that has been donated over the past years, this organization has much more work to do. The state of California has cut the education budget and continues to cut more and more important resources from our schools. We can’t change the financial crisis of our time which is producing these budget cuts but we can work to minimize the harmful effects on our children’s education by continuing to support the DEANS with your charitable dollars. You will see a heightened and early focus on the membership drive this fall from our Membership Chair Costa Harbilas as he strives to help us meet our fundraising goals. Together we can make a difference!
DEANS President
Art Wardwell
Last year, in one of the toughest fundraising environments in decades the DEANS Foundation raised over $420,000 (which decreased 20% year over year) from your membership and the various fundraising events scattered through the year. This allowed the DEANS to continue to fund teacher and teacher aide positions that would not otherwise be available to our school. These include additional staff to support Language Arts, Mathematics, Technology, Science and the new Spanish Language Program. Capital improvements like the new Oasis Shade Structure are also funded with your DEANS dollars. The DEANS also continued to fund support for the significant technology upgrades made in the classrooms last year, with every room being equipped with a ceiling mounted LCD player, Smart Boards and Digital Document Cameras. This focus on technology has been a key initiative of the DEANS strategic plan and Andersen continues to stand on par or ahead of any other public school in Orange County in terms of access to technology.
The DEANS Foundation spent $720 for every student at Andersen Elementary and here is how we spent the money you donated last year by category:
Language Arts/Reading/Writing Specialist Teachers:
$138,000 (33% of budget)
Teacher Aides to support classrooms: $59,000 (14% of budget)
Technology Specialist and Technology Technician: $38,000 (9% of budget)
Spanish Program Development & Spanish Teachers: $35,000 (8% of budget)
Technology Hardware and Software: $28,000 (7% of budget)
Basic School Supplies, Insurance & Fees: $30,000 (7% of budget)
Teacher Allowances for Extra Classroom Supplies: $12,000 (3% of budget)
Math & Science Specialist Teachers: $10,000 (2% of budget)
The commitment shown from parents, teachers and staff continue to make Andersen Elementary the top school in Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD), one of the finest public schools in Orange County and the entire State of California. The API test score achieved for the 2007/2008 school year (951) was the highest in our school’s history and the highest in NMUSD.
As much work and effort that has been donated over the past years, this organization has much more work to do. The state of California has cut the education budget and continues to cut more and more important resources from our schools. We can’t change the financial crisis of our time which is producing these budget cuts but we can work to minimize the harmful effects on our children’s education by continuing to support the DEANS with your charitable dollars. You will see a heightened and early focus on the membership drive this fall from our Membership Chair Costa Harbilas as he strives to help us meet our fundraising goals. Together we can make a difference!
DEANS President
Art Wardwell
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