Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2019)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 9 Sisters Schools Foundation makes big impact in community By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Sisters schools punch above their weight when it comes to providing enhanced and enriched education pro- grams. That9s thanks in large part to the support of the Sisters Schools Foundation (SSF), which funds materials and activities that are beyond the scope of the regular school district budget. SSF is currently in the middle of its annual giv- ing campaign, providing the opportunity for members of the community to support educational opportunities for Sisters youth. <It9s an annual giv- ing campaign,= said SSF Board Chair Treasure Lewis. <This is our third year. It9s a two-week push, but obvi- ously people can give all year long& Our goal is $20,000.= Since 1997, Sisters Schools Foundation has sup- ported the Sisters School District through direct dona- tions to teachers and staff from monies raised from Starry Nights concerts, pri- vate donations, and partner- ships with local community foundations. A few of the program9s past donations have sup- ported: equipment for the district9s athletic trainer; educational field trips; musical instruments; voca- tional equipment; Outdoor School; The Oregon History Field Trip; art materials and equipment. <There9s things outside the classroom budget that the budget just can9t support,= Lewis said. SSF strives to distribute its funding equally among all three Sisters schools. One thing the Foundation does NOT do is fund teach- ing or staff positions. Board member Ross Kennedy explained the allo- cation process. Teachers make requests, including background on need and educational benefit, which are collated and reviewed by the board. Distributions are made once or twice a year, depending on fund- ing and the volume of requests. <Honestly, we don9t say no to much,= Kennedy said. < We w a n t a s m a n y requests to come in as people who have ideas, needs and wants,= Lewis said. Those ideas, needs and wants are often creative and innovative, the foundation board members said. <They (teachers) think outside the box, which is great,= Kennedy said. Donors can make tar- geted donations, aimed at a particular program, school or classroom. Such requests are always honored. And, since SSF is an all-volunteer organization with close to zero overhead, <100 percent of our donations go to the students and the programs,= Lewis said. Lewis emphasized the critical nature of SSF9s part- nerships with the community. Starry Nights has been, for decades, a major fundraising engine for SSF. <They have supported the Sisters Schools Foundation for the past 30 years and have been just critical in continu- ing the good work that hap- pens,= she said. She also noted that SSF has important partner- ships with the Roundhouse Foundation and SPTC (Sisters Parent-Teacher Community). For more information on donating to SSF, visit http:// ssd6.org/ssf and click on the big, red <Donate= button. PHOTO PROVIDED Providing equipment to help athletic trainer Alex Walker — through a partnership with The Center — is one of many support roles played by Sisters Schools Foundation. F LL TODAY E IN OR CA OR YOUR E C N A R U S FREE I N ISON! COMPAR COM 541-588-6245 257 S. Pine St., #101 | farmersagent.com/jrybka AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS