You may have noticed the Z is missing from the Carquinez Middle School sign. Please know the John Swett Education Foundation is very aware of the missing Z and if the Z is not returned to the Carquine Middle School sign in short order, the JSEF will be taking action…
We should all feel almost angelic; we’re all singing together on the cloud (thanks to the lofty gift of internet access). –Don’t tell anyone, but it’s kind of nice being able to communicate from the comfort of our own homes rather than an official school site; this way we can enjoy a sip of fine chardonnay while swapping stories of the latest events in the John Swett School District.
When we say we’re running in the red—it’s not exactly what we mean…. What we want you to notice is that we erased last year’s red “mercury”. So—where did that money go?
When we say we’re running in the red—it’s not exactly what we mean…. What we want you to notice is that we erased last year’s red “mercury”. So—where did that money go?
As we slip into summer (and the middle of the JSEF fundraising year) only one thing is certain - and that’s that nothing is certain. It’s summer alright, but gone are the days spent frolicking in the pool, towing the kids across the state to Disneyland, and all the other mid-year rituals we’re accustomed to. Most notably in Crockett - gone is the Sugartown Festival. It comes as no surprise that the festival was canceled this year, so we were prepared to discuss at this month’s board meeting how we were going to recoup the losses of our second biggest fundraising event of the year.
We should all feel almost angelic; we’re all singing together on the cloud (thanks to the lofty gift of internet access). –Don’t tell anyone, but it’s kind of nice being able to communicate from the comfort of our own homes rather than an official school site; this way we can enjoy a sip of fine chardonnay while swapping stories of the latest events in the John Swett School District.
Happy April Fool’s Day. I’m sure your day is filled with fun and frolic. (Predictably online)
Our monthly meeting was remarkably short. We did cover a lot of topics, but because we managed to communicate from the computer-comfort of our home-based computers, we didn’t have the wherewithal to have all the fun joviality we usually do. The online opportunity limited our conversations to only one speaker at a time—and that’s certainly not the way we usually enjoy out discussions. Thank you GoToMeeting!
Nonetheless, we did have a funds-seeking guest! Ms. Hayden joined us online to make her annual request for resources to help pay for the John Swett senior’s Advanced Placement tests. Man! Those tests are expensive, and many of the students take more than one of these AP tests. It is always a brief discussion to approve investment in the future for our students.
Also, we checked Mr. Odyniec’s request on Donors Choose for art supplies for his History/Geography classroom. His description of the circumstances of the class’s needs was almost poetry! He made it obvious and straightforward to see the importance of bringing art and artistic expression to the understanding of history. All students need multiple methods exploring their understanding of the world—past and present. And (as George Santayana wrote), “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
Every year in January students from Rodeo Hills Elementary take part in the “Reading Challenge” program. At the launch of the challenge, students submit ideas for a picture to be printed on the shirts—so every year has a unique design. The PTA is proud of the accomplishments of the students; the kids are so proud to be awarded their prize for taking part; and JSEF is proud to be able to fund these T-shirts.
We are taking part in a new fundraising opportunity – The Shoreline Festival sponsored by the Contra Costa County Resource Conservation District. The festivities, taking place on the Shoreline by the old Nantucket, will be held on May 30th. It’ll be a chance for you to enjoy our world famous, delicious, delightful, debilitating lemonade.
And, of course, the next big event will be Crockett’s Sugartown Festival on July 19th. It’s the first fundraiser of our next fiscal year; You will be able to find us in our usual spot—halfway up Rolph on the west side of the street. We will offer beautifully refreshing lemonade for the youngsters, and “Pink” lemonade for those over 21 who like to spruce up their cups with something invigorating!
I encourage you to come to our next virtual meeting on April 20th, at 7:00 PM. If you’re interested please send a quick message to our President, Emma Sutton at emma.jsef@gmail.com for your GoToMeeting link. If you’re aware of anyone who wants to take a more active role in our efforts, encourage them to take action. Our JSEF needs adults who care about education whether in or out of our district, with or without kids. We’re actively recruiting responsible residents to focus on the health of our community. Check it out. It’s rewarding.
Or visit us on our soon-to-be-updated website at www.johnsswettef.org
Billie Davis, Director
The JSEF directors had a chance to meet on Dr. Martin Luther King Day. Once again we reflect on the impact Dr. King made on our country over 50 years ago. Now, of course, the John Swett School District can be proud that we teach students from all over the world, giving opportunity to kids from so many different backgrounds to “Have a Dream”.
The Dream of JSEF is to be sure all our students have the support that is needed for them to have a successful future. How do we do that? Well, we have fundraisers, of course. And you can see the results of the support you’ve given us. We got the “lead” our of our mercury—and now you can see how the thermometers shot up to highlight how much you’ve donated to help our students achieve their dreams.
We’re in the second half of the school year, and we have a chance to fill those thermometers. You can easily donate by going to our website (below) and clicking on the “donate now” section. Although we won’t have that (grueling) fun run this semester, things are in the works for a 2021 springtime jog/walk/run that will be on a much more friendly course. Keep your eyes and ears tuned in for more information about that event.
However, we will be launching our 2020-21 school year fundraising efforts at the Sugartown Festival. Of course, we’ll be there offering the lemonade you love. You’ll be able to quench your thirst while supporting our schools.
And then there’s the Prom. Mark your calendars for November 14th; you’ll be swept back to the “British Invasion” of the ‘60’s. Do you remember The Mod Squad? Yellow Submarine? Alice’s Restaurant? The height of fashion can be found in antique clothing shops! It’ll be a Gas!
So, we are busy planning how best to support all the schools in our district. We’re so proud that our small district is such a pearl of the bay area. It’s a blessing to be in such a unique setting. Huge oversized districts may be able to boast about their budgets. But we’re able to boast that over 80% of our net proceeds go back into our schools!
That’s a Dream in which we can all take part.
Come join us on February 17th (the third Monday as usual). (7:00PM in the district office.) Or visit us on our website at www.johnsswettef.org
Billie Davis, Director
We’re just about halfway through the school year, and we’re proud of the fundraising efforts we’ve accomplished so far. You might have noticed the recent rise in our fundraising thermometers! So, just to bring you up to date on what we’ve been doing, let’s take a look:
Physical education has been proven to be an imperative aspect of a student’s success and that includes organized team sports. With that in mind, the John Swett boys’ basketball team’s coach presented us with the need for new game uniforms, practice uniforms, gear bags and supplies: all very necessary. JSEF was able to fund the game uniforms. And, because we are always looking for ways to enhance every effort of raising capital for requests like this we decided to use “GoFundMe.com” to raise the balance of the basketball program’s request. We’ll be posting that link on our website as soon as it’s ready to go.
An equally important aspect of a student’s success is art and music education. (You can’t expect a student to be able to do ‘Language ARTS” without giving them ART). Because Rodeo Hills no longer has a music program, a group of concerned parents came to our JSSEF meeting to solicit our help for funding an excellent music curriculum developed and administered by an organization called “Music for Minors” (www.mfm.org). The curriculum includes music literacy, movement, singing, and playing instruments. Needless to say, we were delighted to contribute to the funding of this essential program.
By the way, we are also very active with Donor’s Choose—an online funding site that several of our teachers have used with great success. JSEF has actively participated in funding every Donors Choose request that has ever been submitted by teachers in our district. By going online to www.donorschoose.org you can participate as well. It is always interesting and fun to see what our teachers need.
Did you see us at this year’s Tree Lighting Ceremony? The kids thought the hot chocolate was great—especially with a handful of marshmallows on top. The adults preferred adding Fireball to their cups! A great time was had by all.
After a brief holiday break in December, we’ll be kicking off January with a bang! Come join us on January 20th 2020. (7:00PM in the district office.) Or visit us on our website at www.johnsswettef.org
-Billie Davis
Director
A huge thank you to The Famous, The Tumbling Dice and Bang On, who raised $900 for the JSEF at their benefit show at Toot’s Tavern last weekend!
Marcus Moreno, singer for The Tumbling Dice and his longtime friend, Greg Hensley, bass player for The Famous, are parents of students at Rodeo Hills Elementary. It was their goal to let their music benefit the children of their community. We’re thrilled to have this level of involvement within our district. Thank you to everyone who was involved in this effort and everyone who came out to support the enrichment of our schools.
A huge thank you to Brian Montgomery and his co-workers at Genentech who recently raised nearly $1300 for the John Swett Education Foundation at Brian’s annual charity golf tournament! Their continued support is vital to our work supporting our schools. A special thank you to the Bull Valley Roadhouse, Avidex, Crestron, Blackbox and other donors for their continued support of the JSEF and this event with their raffle prizes.
Pasquale 'Pat' Contestable passed away on February 11, 2018. He touched many lives with his gentle spirit and positive outlook on life.
Pat was born in Crockett, CA and graduated from John Swett High School and earned a degree in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley and a master in Education from California State University San Francisco. After serving in the U.S. Army, Pat dedicated his career to John Swett Unified School District holding a variety of positions including teacher, counselor, principal, business manager and superintendent of schools. Upon retirement, Pat enjoyed traveling, golf, the Lions Club and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Pat is survived by his loving wife, Julia, devoted children Mary Wooster (Kevin), Julie Bates (Jeff) and Peter Contestable and grandchildren Madeline Wooster and Jeremy Bates. His generous, easy going spirit will be missed by all that knew him.
Friends and family are invited to a funeral service at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 555 Third Avenue in Crockett. Friday, Mar. 2, 2018, 10:00 AM.
Pat has requested that donations should be made to the John Swett Education Foundation. We are deeply moved by his thoughtfulness and years of support and service.
Donations can also be mailed to:
John Swett Education Foundation, P.O. Box 455, Crockett, CA 94525
