Sheridan Education Foundation forms to meet growing needs
By EMILY WILL & BRIANNA DUKE
Sheridan Education Foundation
“Grant money would relieve the financial burden that so many of us feel as we work to grow as educators and improve the educational experience for all of our students.”
This is a quote from Sheridan High School’s Spanish and Education teacher, Jill Cali. As a way to help relieve this burden, the Sheridan Education Foundation, Inc. has recently been formed.
The Sheridan Education Foundation (SEF) is a committee made up of representatives from local businesses, retired teachers, school board members, and Sheridan youth. This committee exists to provide grants to teachers at all three Sheridan schools.
These grants are given through applications and will likely happen biannually. Once applications are submitted, the members of SEF will meet and discuss the applications. The winner or winners will be chosen and awarded a grant, varying in amounts needed.
The goal of this board is to help provide financial support to meet the needs of teachers and students in our community. This will ultimately improve the school environment and minimize the out-of-pocket expenses for teachers. Many teachers end up paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket for various supplies every year for their students and classrooms. The funds raised by the Sheridan Education Foundation will serve as a resource teachers can use to help cover some of those expenses.
As a board, SEF has already started fundraising for these grants. To help celebrate Sheridan High School’s 100th Homecoming football game, there will be a Sheridan Staff/Alumni/Blackhawk fan dinner, which will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Sheridan Elementary School Cafeteria. The cost is $12 per person. The dinner’s main course will be the famous Blackhawk Bowl, consisting of mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, cheese, and gravy. It will be served with a roll, salad, dessert, and drink. This is a favorite of many Blackhawk students.
After the dinner, shuttles will be available to transport you to and from the football field to enjoy the game.
Please come and enjoy a delicious dinner and cheer on the Sheridan Blackhawks football team. You can purchase your dinner ticket at many of the Fall Varsity Sporting events leading up to the homecoming game or by credit card with the QR code seen here, or at tinyurl.com/Sheridan100HomecomingDinner. Homecoming football game tickets will be available for purchase (cash only) at the dinner as well. All proceeds will go directly to SEF and back to Sheridan’s teachers, students, and classrooms as the foundation begins to fulfill grant requests.
The input of Sheridan’s teachers on the importance of this board and the support it will bring is important. SEF members talked to one high school teacher, Jill Cali about her thoughts on the formation of SEF. She stated, “Federal grant money is hard to come by and the application process is often so daunting that teachers don’t bother applying for something that feels like such a long shot. I think that having grant money available from a local foundation would mean so much more than most of the public could understand.”
One of SEF’s goals is to make the grant process easy for teachers to get help from the school community.
Ms. Cali also shared, “We, as teachers, spend an unbelievable amount of money on making our classrooms welcoming and having the supplies that we and our students need to function. That doesn’t even include the money spent on necessary supplies for specific learning activities for our courses.”
SEF hopes to provide grants for these types of needs to help lessen the financial burden that it causes many teachers.
Middle school math teacher Adam Spencer said, “I am very grateful for the starting of a foundation like this.It was long overdue … I want to thank everyone who helps the rising of the foundation and hopes that it will continue for many years to come.”
Mr. Spencer and Ms. Cali both shared that they pay hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets each year for students. After hearing from some of Sheridan’s teachers, it is evident how important it is that the Sheridan Education Foundation, Inc. exists.
Please support SEF in taking steps to better every Sheridan classroom. See you for the 100th Homecoming dinner on Sept. 16.