Challenges Local Citizens to "Believe in our Future…Together"

The Haldane School Foundation, a local organization dedicated to raising private funds to enhance public education, announced this week that a major campaign is underway. With the goal of raising $100,000, this initiative carries the theme "Believe in our Future…Together," representing the premise that "the children of our community are our greatest resource and the future leaders of Philipstown and beyond," according to HSF President Joe Curto.

Donations amounting to nearly $10,000 have already been pledged, kicking-off the program to a running start. "Funds raised by the Haldane School Foundation allow for the types of programs to be offered to our kids which are the first to get cut or not even requested in our current climate of budget constraints and NYS mandates," says Joe Curto. "No taxpayer funds are used. We raise it all privately, and we need your help at any level you’re comfortable with!"

The Haldane School Foundation’s Grant Fund will get its next significant infusion from the upcoming Snow Ball 2004: An Evening In Monte Carlo, a black-tie optional benefit scheduled for Saturday, January 24th at Inn Credible Caterers in Cold Spring. This third-annual Snow Ball will feature casino-type gaming entertainment using "Haldane Chips". Guests will have their choice of Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Wheel of Fortune and Poker tables, all in good fun and for a great cause. Gaming proceeds will entitle Snow Ball guests to enter drawings for this year’s Grand Prizes which include a Plasma TV and a Slot Machine! A silent auction, elegant dinner buffet and live entertainment from local favorite (and Haldane faculty member) Mike Klubnick and his band will round out this fun-filled, speech-free evening.

The Haldane School Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of public education and strengthen the curriculum through the development and support of innovative school-based programs and by supporting continued professional development and resources for faculty. This is achieved in part by engaging the partnership of educators, citizens, parents, and students and increasing the community’s awareness of the need for support of its schools.

The eighteen-member Foundation board is made up entirely of volunteers from the community. Administrative costs are virtually non-existent thanks to in-kind donations, insuring that monies raised are put to work directly for our schools. Funds are disbursed primarily in the form of grants that are approved by a Grant Committee meeting twice a year to review proposals submitted by teachers, school administrators and community members.

The committee consists of HSF Board members, faculty, and administrators, representing a cross section of ideas. "The Grant Committee continues to be impressed by the variety and innovation of the grant requests being submitted. Haldane’s teachers out-do themselves, seeking to introduce creative, new ideas into their classrooms, and we are eager to fund these innovative programs," said Donna Cotennec, the Foundation’s Vice-President.

Grant applications and guidelines can be accessed thru the HSF web site at www.haldaneschoolfoundation.org.

Major areas of funding include:

The K-6 DELL Wireless Cart computer system - This remote computer lab for K-6th grade goes from classroom to classroom eliminating the space needs of a traditional computer lab. A total of $30,000 has been pledged by HSF over three years

Haldane/Hudson Environmental Learning Program (H.E.L.P.) - initiative to use the Hudson River and its resources as a tool of learning according to NYS Learning Standards. Through in-school workshops and The Summer Institute taught by regional experts, the HELP Program provides Haldane faculty first-hand experience in the history, ecology, art, and economics of the Hudson so that they in turn can incorporate this knowledge in the classroom.

Common Threads - cultural diversity initiative and project of the PTA. Goals are to help students develop an awareness of self, foster an understanding of others and affirm the importance of family and community.

Interactive Earth - Imagine an enormous hand painted, inflatable, 22 foot diameter Interactive Earth which can accommodate up to 30 students. The Earth Portable Classroom provides a host of exciting curriculum for teachers to use exploring geography, geology, rain forests, map projections, time zones, migration and more.

Tickets to this year’s Snow Ball are available for $125 per-person on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting Donna Cotennec at 845-265-2172 or cotennec@aol. The previous two-years’ events completely sold out. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are also available for local businesses wishing to "host" a gaming table for $250 (for information, contact Joe Curto at 845-265-6524).