Page 7 - Klahanie September-October, 2019 Issue

The Issaquah Schools Foundation

Fueling Success for Every Student, Every School

By Cornell Atwater
C O MM U NI T Y

Back in the 1980’s as Klahanie and essential support available to your children will be attending
began to receive the first every student, in every school. throughout their student careers.
residents, the Issaquah School During the past six years, the Every Klahanie family will benefit
District was certainly not Foundation has raised and spent from the Foundation’s resources
structured or supported like it over $10 Million in providing during their children’s education.
is today. Financial levies during enrichment that the district could Step up today to support quality
the prior decade had often not not otherwise provide using tax education throughout the
passed, and “Basic Education” as dollars. Issaquah School District! Visit
funded by the state did not cover www.isfdn.org to set up your
a full day of instruction. Challenger Elementary recently donation or call 425-391-8557 to
received a grant from the
Soon, grassroots efforts were Foundation to provide funding get started.
implemented to bring groups for Positive Inclusion – which
of interested parents, teachers addresses issues of bullying,
and community leaders together racial tension, and conflicts in
to address the problems and the schools. The grant allowed
envision solutions to help the Challenger to solicit help from
district administrators, teachers Playworks in the hopes of
and student thrive.
bringing respect, safety, and
By 1987, the Issaquah Schools inclusion to the playground. The
Foundation, often referred to as grant also provides funding for
the Foundation, was launched training in conflict resolution and
as a non-profit dedicated to problem solving. The entire staff
funding additional programs and will receive training and plans
services that the Issaquah School are in place that all staff will be
District could not afford, allowing trained and fully capable to carry
all teachers and students in the out the program independently
district to excel. To meet these by the end of the 2020 school
lofty goals they focused their year.
efforts on raising money from Other Foundation funded
every family in the district with programs include, Cultural
children who would be receiving Bridges helping families
the additional programs and overcome language and cultural
support.
barriers they face when English
The Foundation is the only is not their first language. The
organization that supports program empowers families to
all students K-12. Donations become a part of the community
received are spent on essentials and helps their kids to be
such as food support and school successful in school by way of
supplies, academic support events, mentoring, translation
for students, and enrichment services and outreach.
opportunities including STEM, Each school has a PTSA
music, and art for students, as organization and their efforts
well as professional development are to support the needs of that
and grants for teachers. The specific school. Donations to the
Foundation supports our schools Issaquah Schools Foundation
by making high-quality education
can impact all the schools

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