We still need volunteers on Saturday, July 19th — 8a-12p(ish)
Birney has a permit to use the huge District parking lot as well as our own lot and charge for parking for the 2014 SD Pride Parade! It is quick, easy money to help support our IB Program and “Specials” classes. We need 15 volunteers to help set-up and/or help direct cars and sell water. Click here to sign up or contact volunteers@birneypta.com.
Next year’s school budget has come down from the Board of Education. While the Board of Education is happy to report that are not laying off any teachers next year, at Birney, Mrs. Arteberry, our English Language Support Teacher and Reading Specialist will become a classroom teacher again. At Birney, 1 in 4 students spend time outside the classroom with Mrs. Arteberry. Next year Ms. ARteberry, will return to a classroom and the English Learners at Birney will have to rely on their classroom teachers for this specialized support.
Please go to Save Our ELST for more information about how you can help stand up for the rights of all our students to have their educational needs met.
Thank you, FOABE and Birney PTA
Can’t be there Friday? But want one of the auction items? Submit a proxy bid!
Teachers
Parking
Garden
Spanish
Reserved Seats!
Opportunity Drawing MC by Ms. Amanda and Coach Lord!
The San Diego Foundation’s giveBIG held back on May 6th was an incredible success! The Friends of Alice Birney is pleased to announce that we received $1,915 from our donors during the 24 hour window of the event. On top of that, The San Diego Foundation matched with another $345. The grand total for this fundraising effort was $2,260! The fact that we were able to draw this level of support with next to no publicity just speaks to how much the greater community appreciates and supports Birney’s world-class IB program. Thank You San Diego!!
Dear Alice Birney Families,
A gigantic thank you to Coach Lord for another exhilarating Run for the Green. It was wonderful to see so many Birney families on campus while 560 students, as well as family, friends, and staff ran laps for an entire hour! Coach Lord’s music mix along with the energy coming from the students made for a very exciting and exhausting afternoon. Whose kids didn’t fall asleep while eating dinner?
Each year this annual run is paired with a fundraiser organized by the Friends of Alice Birney to raise much needed funds to support our Specials. Students solicit donations for their efforts and volunteers solicit local businesses for cash and prizes. We are pleased to announce that we raised $28,793.58 this year. Each year more and more businesses support our school, and this year they provided over $15,000 in cash and prizes. Please make sure to patronize these businesses and tell them you appreciate their support. Our “Queen Bee” sponsors are on this page along with a complete list of all sponsors.
Throughout the school year we host fundraisers like this to make it possible for Birney to maintain its International Baccalaureate curriculum, certification, and Spanish, art, earth science (garden) and library programs. While we came short of our $33,000 goal, we are only $10,000 from our goal for 2013/2014. Stay tuned for our late spring and early summer fundraisers. Please contact alicebirneyfriends@gmail.com if you would like to help us reach that goal.
Again, thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely yours,
Jennifer Ayala
President, Friends of Alice Birney Elementary
Dear Friends,
Birney students are right in the middle of their last trimester for the 2013-2014 school year, which means it is time to extend another thank you to all of our supporters and share our recent achievements.
Working with The Friends of Alice Birney Elementary (FOABE) is rewarding in so many ways. Each month our organization’s ability to support Birney’s International Baccalaureate program is expanded and strengthened.
Since my last update we have had three successful fundraisers: Parents’ Night Out, Run for the Green, and giveBIG. We are also so pleased to announce that we are the recipients of a $5,000 grant from Lowes in support of our garden program! To date, all of our fundraising strategies, including your direct support, bring us up to 87% of this year’s goal! So far this year FOABE is able to fund:
I am also excited to announce that we have established a relationship with a new partner from our local business community. This will help us expand our reach for support and help us create events for our entire community to enjoy! Stay tuned for more details.
On the list of future events is our 2nd Annual University Heights Urban Harvest Festival on Saturday November 1. It will be open and FREE for all. We will have local food and drinks, music, crafts, games, jack-o-lantern smashing and composting, and cooking competitions. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success. Please contact us for information regarding vendor and sponsorship opportunities!
Mark your calendar for our last event of this school year – Parents’ Night Out with childcare on June 27th from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. In addition to good food and company, we’ll also offer a live raffle and silent auction. Stay tuned for more info!
As always, thank you for your continued support! Birney Elementary is poised to continue its success with all of us working together.
Most sincerely,
Jennifer Ayala
President, Friends of Alice Birney Elementary
Dear Community Member,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Friends of Alice Birney Foundation. We seek contributor support for the core elements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at Alice Birney Elementary, a San Diego Unified public school. Due to cuts in state funding, the components that make Alice Birney an IB school is dependent on funds raised through our organization.
May 6th, FOR ONE DAY ONLY, FOABE will participate in giveBIG. This is an online giving event that will allow every dollar donated to FOABE to be magnified through the giveBIG incentive pool.
It is our hope that you will support us with a minimum $25 donation to bring us closer to our event goal of $10,000. To participate please go to www.sdfoundation.org on May 6th and make a donation on behalf of “Friends of Alice Birney”.
By supporting our public school through a giveBIG donation, you become a part of a 45 year old program that educates students to create a better world. The focus of the International Baccalaureate (IB) system is to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”.
I would like to thank you for considering this opportunity to partner with our organization. I would also like to thank those who have shown us support this year already. Through developing relationships with community donors, teachers, staff and parents, financial strength can be realized allowing Alice Birney Elementary to continue to provide its globally impactful and dynamic curriculum. We believe that encouraging students to become compassionate, active, lifelong learners is worth investing in. We hope that you will too.
Thank you,
Jennifer Ayala
President, Friends of Alice Birney Foundation
“Because the teachers don’t give up, we never give up on ourselves.
We have empathy so we care for others.” -Student at Alice Birney Elementary
On Friday, March 14, 2014, Birney students will hold our 7th annual Run for the Green. Our goal is to raise $33,000 to support Spanish, Art, Library and Garden programs. With a donation of $170 we are able to support the instructional costs for one student’s year of Spanish, art, earth science and a librarian! That is only $1 dollar a day! Many of our families cannot contribute this modest amount. Sponsors from community members, family, businesses, and friends enable us to bridge that gap. Through 2012 and 2013 the Friends of Alice Birney Elementary raised over $175,000 to support Spanish, art, earth science and a librarian for over 550 students. These programs are central to our prestigious International Baccalaureate curriculum. This year we must raise $92,500 to keep our programs. Would you please support our students?
Did you know that Alice Birney Elementary experienced a dramatic turnaround over the past decade? Birney doubled its enrollment, achieved excellent test scores, and is proud to have an enrollment waiting list. We had high hopes that with the passage of Prop 30 our financial constraints would be lifted, but previous budget cuts are forecasted for several more years. These budget cuts hit schools in the urbanized communities the hardest.
Your support at any level is greatly appreciated. We have great sponsor benefits available for businesses let us know your interest. Thank you for considering a donation to support our school’s success, a healthy community and a stronger future.
What some Alice Birney Elementary students are saying about their school:
“The thing I love about Birney is garden; it helps me understand different things about nature.”
“Since I have been a Birney Bee, I have gotten stronger, smarter, and better.”
“We are grateful for the things that other people give us.”
Students – If you’ve already filled your sponsor form, you can download another one here :Student Packet Sponsor Form
Dear Birney Community,
We have incredible news from our anonymous donors. First and foremost, our donors want to express their deep gratitude to us all, for our hard work supporting Birney. To celebrate our community’s incredible generosity, they are going to contribute a 20% match for dollars which comes to $3,237. In addition they will also contribute a $10/donor grant, which amounts to $1,350. For a total of $4,587, which they will round to $4,600!
This incredible donation, together with the $16,187 we raised during yesterday’s Big Give, comes to a grand total of $20,787! That is $787 more than our goal.
All totaled, we have raised $42,287 since the start of the 2013/2014 school year. We are almost half way to our goal and the school year is only one third completed. Way to go Birney Bees!
Thank you to everyone who has helped us have yet another successful fundraiser which allows the teachers and staff of Birney to continue to provide our IB curriculum.
Thank you,
The Friends of Alice Birney Elementary
135 Donors! $16,187 raised in a single day! That is a 24% increase in dollars over last year. We are absolutely astounded by the generous outpouring of support from our Birney friends and family. Thanks to your donations we are well on our way to being able to continue to fund our specials. We are anxiously awaiting news from our anonymous donors on the matching grant and will update the site shortly.
Once again we feel compelled to use the following quote. It is completely apropos of what has just been accomplished by the Birney community.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
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