Blog Posts - Ravenswood Education Foundation

Join Us in Congratulating Ravenswood!

4/6/2020

Dear REF Community,

We are thrilled to share with you that earlier today, RCSD School Board President Ana Maria Pulido announced that the board has selected Gina Sudaria to serve as Ravenswood’s permanent superintendent!

President Pulido stated “After a long and thorough process, the Board made the decision to select a leader with deep institutional history. We felt that Gina is best suited to push forth the many reforms undertaken at Ravenswood over the last few years.”

We couldn’t agree more! As a Ravenswood educator for the past 22 years, Gina has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Ravenswood students, families, teachers and staff. In her role as interim superintendent, she has remained focused on improving instruction for every child while guiding the district through significant changes including the creation and adoption of a new strategic plan and the consolidation of schools to ensure fiscal solvency. Over the past month, her leadership has continued to shine as she and her team support families and teachers to transition to distance learning while also making sure that their basic needs around food, technology, childcare and well-being are met.

Throughout her tenure as a teacher, coach, principal, and district office leader, Gina has earned the trust of all around her. Her authentic optimism and commitment are contagious and she builds a climate and culture that makes people want to be part of her team. Gina is truly a gem, combining a fierce intelligence, educational expertise, and unparalleled work ethic, with grace and kindness. We are so excited to partner with her, the board and the entire district as we enter this new chapter in Ravenswood history.

Please join us in sending Gina a congratulatory note through this Awesome Box. Messages will be collected through April 14 at which point they will be sent to Gina directly.

We are #OneRavenswood

Warmly,

Jenna Wachtel Pronovost, Executive Director

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

3/27/2020

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ - Mr. Rogers

Dear Ravenswood Community,

As we come to the end of our second week of school closures and sheltering in place, I am grateful to provide you with some updates from Ravenswood that will warm your heart and soothe your soul.

How You Can Help

Sign up to volunteer. All Students Matter and REF are partnering with the District to collect a bank of volunteers we can call on as opportunities arise. The District has identified significant volunteer needs related to technology distribution the week of April 6. We will be making every effort possible to maintain social distancing and adhere to health guidelines for folks who join in person.
Contribute to the REF Emergency Fund
Donate and volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank or Ecumenical Hunger Program
If you are able, continue to pay folks who typically work in your home, or that you see in your daily lives. Many of the parents in Ravenswood work in service industries that pay hourly, so this time will be devastating economically.
Stay up to date by checking the District website.
Please pass this email along to friends so they can join the REF email list.

REF Emergency Fund
Your generosity helped us achieve our matching grant and to date we have raised $383,776.85 for the REF Emergency Fund! In the last week alone, these funds have allowed the District to:

Provide 234 gift cards to families to purchase essential groceries and household items
Procure 300 masks for the child nutrition team to use to keep food distribution safe for families and staff
Purchase 430 ipads for every TK, Kindergarten and first grade student to ensure that every child in the district has access to online learning (2nd-8th graders will receive chromebooks previously used in the classroom)
Order 1650 hands-on at home learning STEM kits from KiwiCo to ensure that our students are able to engage in experiential learning regardless of what their family can provide

Community Champions
Thank you to all the REF community members who are getting creative and using your expertise in all kinds of new ways to support the Ravenswood family through birthday fundraisers, live streaming yoga classes, sponsoring meals and more. Here are a few fun highlights from our community this week:

Kelli Agnich is taking Porchraits in exchange for a contribution to the REF Emergency Fund.
Thanasis Pashalidis and the Taverna team are providing hot meals to Ravenswood’s essential workers.

More to follow after the District reconvenes the week of April 6. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. I am so grateful to be part of this team of helpers with you - we truly are one community.

Warmly,

Jenna Wachtel Pronovost
Executive Director

REF Community Comes Together

3/20/2020

Dear REF Community,
Just one week has passed since Ravenswood schools closed and we launched the REF Emergency Fund, and yet so much has happened. I am so touched and hopeful to witness our community coming together to take care of each other. With the latest prediction that schools may not reopen until fall, our sustained support of our students and families will be critical.

How You Can Help

Contribute to REF Emergency Fund
Donate and volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank
Donate and volunteer at Ecumenical Hunger Program
If you are bilingual, volunteer to interpret for families and teachers
If you are able, continue to pay folks who typically work in your home, or that you see in your daily lives. Many of the parents in Ravenswood work in service industries that pay hourly, so this time will be devastating economically.
Stay up to date by checking the District website.
Please pass this email along to friends so they can join the REF email list.

Thank you to the many of you who have already reached out wanting to help, and for your invaluable gifts of time and money. I’d like to give you a brief update of where we are today:
REF Emergency Fund:

The REF Emergency Fund has raised nearly $200,000, thanks to your kind contributions. This is a wonderful start, but the needs are growing daily.
Yesterday, we received a $50,000 match opportunity from an incredibly generous anonymous donor. Please share this opportunity to double your donation with your friends and family.
Thus far we’ve used the Emergency Fund to:
- purchase a Zoom license for the District to enable remote meeting and learning
- fund an emergency child care program
- make a donation to Ecumenical Hunger Program, a local food pantry that serves many of our families
- provide $10,000 in gift cards to Target and Safeway to allow families to purchase groceries and other household needs
- purchase masks and protective gear for our staff and volunteers distributing food
Our REF board is continuing to work closely with the District to evaluate opportunities to use the Emergency Fund to:
- enhance distance learning
- bolster food distribution
- offer emergency financial support for families and staff
- support emergency child care

Ravenswood City School District Efforts to Address Evolving Needs:

The leadership team at the District is working hard to address the evolving needs of the school community. Please take a few minutes to watch this video to hear directly from Interim Superintendent Gina Sudaria and her team about their latest efforts to support families.
The District is providing almost 2,000 meals a day to children in the community. Families can drive by school sites to pick up breakfast and lunch from school nutrition staff and bus drivers are also dropping off meals at students’ homes. In addition, a coordinated effort with Second Harvest Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club provides food for families. The schedule is on the District website.
Mental health counselors, guidance counselors, the District nurse, and the District social worker are continuing their work with virtual appointments.
Students, families and teachers are making the big shift to distance learning. Teachers have the goal of calling families 2-3 times per week to provide academic support and collect and share information around urgent needs and concerns including child care, rent payments, groceries and health care.
With the longer closure anticipated, the District is moving to having online options for all students, not just middle school students. This is a big lift for this community. Many families lack internet access, and rely on shared phones for homework. CZI is helping provide 300 WiFi hotspots, with more to follow, and the District is signing out classroom Chromebooks to individual students.
Teachers are working to record and send out lessons, schedule Zoom and Google hangout sessions with students, call and text families and more.

Volunteer Needs

We are partnering with the District to enlist translators to support with communication during this time. So far,128 bilingual volunteers have signed up to connect families and teachers and interpret conference calls.
We will continue to post volunteer opportunities on the REF website as they arise.
We are working closely with city officials, local non-profits and community service providers to coordinate efforts including Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Facebook, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, EPIC, Devices for Students, LitLab, Menlo Church, Boys and Girls Club and more. Please reach out to partners above for volunteer opportunities in our community.

Together, anything is possible. Please stay healthy and thank you for keeping Ravenswood students and families in your hearts.

Warmly,
Jenna Wachtel Pronovost
REF, Executive Director

Our Support of the Ravenswood Community During this Time

3/13/2020

Dear REF Community,
During this stressful time, as we protect our loved ones, stock up on supplies, and prepare for the weeks ahead, I am heartened by the outpouring of care from our REF community asking how you can support local students and families most in need.
Today, in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Ravenswood City School District made the difficult decision to close schools from Monday, March 16 through April 3. While closing schools is challenging for all communities, it is particularly challenging here, where 90% of students qualify for free and reduced price lunch and the majority of our parents work hourly service jobs.
How We Can Help:
In collaboration with Interim Superintendent Gina Sudaria, we have identified the following avenues for support:

Contribute to the REF Emergency Fund - REF is establishing an emergency fund to provide financial relief related to the school closures. We are working closely with Ravenswood Interim Superintendent Gina Sudaria and her team to develop a plan to address identified needs, including those listed below. If emergency needs do not deplete the fund, your donations will roll over to support district programs as students, teachers, and staff return to school.
Donate and/or volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank - The Second Harvest Food Bank will be a major source of food for our most vulnerable families. Please consider supporting their much needed efforts.
Use the Ravenswood City School District website for the most up to date information including volunteer opportunities.

Areas of Concern We are Working to Address:

Distance Learning - Teachers and staff are dedicated to doing all they can to make sure learning continues. Children in grades TK-5 arewill receivinge take-home bags with books at their reading level, writing prompts, math exercises, and login information for online learning programs. Middle School students will continue to engage in learning through the online Summit Platform. REF is working with local community partners including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Facebook to ensure that all children who need a device or mobile hotspot for internet access will receive one.
Food Distribution - Although schools will be closed for class, they will remain open Monday through Friday to provide breakfast and lunch for children via drive-through distribution stations. In the event that the families are not able to come to campus, meals will be delivered.
Supporting District Families with Financial Needs - Many of our families work hourly service jobs and are only paid if they are able to go to work. REF is collaborating with the district and other local agencies to identify ways to help with rent, bill payments, and groceries.
Supporting District Staff - Ravenswood employs over 300 people who rely on their salaries to take care of themselves and their families. Although some staff members will be able to continue to work during school closures, the district is creating a plan to financially support our district staff, especially our certificated, hourly employees. REF is preparing to support these efforts in the event that public dollars are not able to cover the cost of this compensation.

With your help, we can take care of each other and face this crisis with love, gratitude and generosity. It is a privilege to be part of this community with you.

Warmly,
Jenna Wachtel Pronovost
REF Executive Director

Welcome Back to School from the Ravenswood Education Foundation

9/23/2019

RAVENSWOOD EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Making a Difference

August 29, 2019

Dear Friends,

The pencils are sharp, the nametags are crisp and teachers are welcoming their new students and families with hugs, handshakes and high fives. Thanks to the generous support of the Ravenswood Education Foundation community, Makerspaces and science labs are equipped and running at all our schools, literacy specialists are ready to provide targeted support, and music and art teachers, mental health providers, and guidance counselors are embedded into the school day. It’s a brand new year in Ravenswood and the energy and excitement are palpable!

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining REF as your new Executive Director, and am especially humbled to be following in the footsteps of past EDs Renu Nanda and Charley Scandlyn who have made the Foundation what it is today. In my nearly 15 years working in education, both here in Ravenswood and in Palo Alto as a teacher and coach, and in my previous work at education non-profits, I have never experienced a back to school enthusiasm like this before. Led by Interim Superintendent Gina Sudaria and Board President Tamara Sobomehin, there is an optimism and commitment that can be felt across every school in the district. There are some tough challenges to overcome and our students need us now more than ever, but all 350 district employees are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.

The district cannot do it alone, we need to roll up our sleeves too. During this coming year, there are many ways you can support our Ravenswood students:

1) Donate to our Annual Campaign. Look out for our Annual Report mailed mid-September. Your donations help us provide grants to the school district to hire the necessary teachers and support staff and to provide instructional materials for all of our initiatives. As always, REF holds the district accountable for the delivery and impact of all programs as we monitor progress and outcomes.

2) Volunteer. We have many ways you can help. Please email Jazmin for more information on any of the items below.

Adopt-a-Teacher pairs volunteers with teachers to provide critical classroom supplies. Join us for coffee on September 13th at 9:30am to learn more.
Adopt-a-School is a meaningful way to support teachers with staff appreciation meals twice a year.
Our libraries, science labs, and Makerspaces always need volunteers and corporate partners to provide our students with exposure to experiences and connections.
We welcome one-time volunteer efforts and drives for specific needs in our community.

3) Attend our Gala. Our signature fundraising event of the year will be held at the Four Seasons on Friday, February 28. If you would like to host a table, donate a live auction item or wine, or support the event in any way, please email our Gala co-hosts, Renu Nanda and Meghan Clark.
4) Attend an Informational Gathering. Throughout the fall, we will host some insight events to introduce you to our new leadership and share our successes and challenges from people on the ground who are impacting student lives each day. Please let Jazmin know if you are interested in attending or hosting one of these smaller events.

The REF community has always stood by our students because we understand that they deserve a high quality education, just like their peers across the highway. Now we have the opportunity to build on this momentum and make a real difference as we support the district to make transformational change.

The future is bright in Ravenswood. Here’s to a great year ahead!
Warmly,

Jenna Wachtel Pronovost
Executive Director, Ravenswood Education Foundation
jenna@ravenswoodef.org

A year end message from the Ravenswood Education Foundation

6/26/2019

Dear Friends,

Clear eyes * Full hearts * Can't lose

This is the battle cry of Coach Taylor, on
Friday Night Lights, one of our family's favorite TV shows. As I transition from REF Executive Director to a board member role, these words are especially resonant and powerful.

Clear eyes
As you know, the challenges facing the Ravenswood community remain, and in many ways have grown worse despite the success of Silicon Valley. Today almost half of our students are in precarious housing situations such as sharing a small home with multiple families or living in a shelter. Also, the District grapples with serious budget challenges as it faces declining enrollment due to an increasing variety of educational options and families moving to less expensive areas. While I view this backdrop with clear eyes, I am more hopeful than ever about the future and want to tell you why.

Full hearts
As I reflect on where we've been and where we are going, I am both thankful and optimistic. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to the generous, talented, and dedicated people I have come to know in Ravenswood - school principals, teachers, volunteers, donors, board members, administrators, and yard duty staff. Also, I believe we're at a point where we have the required ingredients for a true transformation of the educational experience of Ravenswood students.

REF's solid foundation of long-term stability, commitment to the District, and vision for the future:

Because of supporters like you, we have grown into an organization with an annual budget of $5 million that directly and measurably improves the school day for every child in Ravenswood, through program investments in literacy, teacher support, the arts, mental health, STEM, high school transition, and summer school.
We have over 600 community volunteers devoting precious time to adopt a teacher, keep libraries open, enhance science labs, and plant gardens.
By partnering with the District over the past 12 years, we have developed a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities, and are poised to support transformational change.

Collaborative and visionary District leadership:

We have a dynamic new Superintendent - Gina Sudaria. As a Stanford graduate and incredible teacher and leader in Ravenswood for two decades, Gina's roots in the community go deep. Just as importantly, she also brings to this new role a fresh energy, inspiring vision, clear wisdom, and an openness to strategically partnering with outside experts.
Already this year, under Gina's leadership, over two years of negotiations have culminated in a tentative new collective bargaining agreement. This new and improved relationship between District leadership and teachers will be necessary as we face difficult decisions such as the need to consolidate elementary schools. Gina is tackling the budget issues head-on, with a spirit of collaboration and transparency.

Dynamic new leadership for REF's next phase:

I love REF and Ravenswood. You know that. When I first considered moving to a board role, there was one person I hoped would take REF into our next phase, and I couldn't be more thrilled that she was equally excited about the opportunities ahead. Jenna Wachtel Pronovost, REF's new Executive Director, has deep experience with Ravenswood and in the field of education. She's been a teacher in Ravenswood and Palo Alto, and a coach at the New Teacher Center. For her, coming to Ravenswood is like coming full circle, and her intelligence, warmth, and commitment will guide us well.
We also have a dynamic and growing board, and donor and volunteer base that brings varied talents, experience, expertise and passion for REF and Ravenswood.
As we set our sights higher, in the 2019-2020 school year, REF will maintain our initiatives that directly impact students, but we will expand our efforts to help transform the District, funding an analysis of teacher compensation augmentation, leadership support for principals and District leaders, and instructional coaching for teachers.

Can't lose
This is the point in Friday Night Lights when the team rallies together to go win the football game in dramatic fashion. Of course we all know that success in real life is never guaranteed. However, unlike a game of football, this effort we've embarked on together is about children's lives and futures.

Thank you for supporting REF. I hope you will join us with a renewed determination that together we WILL succeed in ensuring that every child in our community has the opportunity for an excellent education and the hope that brings.

Warmly,

Renu Nanda
Executive Director, REF
Rnanda@ravenswoodef.org

Exciting News from REF!

6/19/2019

Dear REF Friends:

I am thrilled to share the news that the Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF) has selected Jenna Wachtel Pronovost as our new Executive Director.

Jenna has spent 12 years in education and is passionate about reforming education so that all students have equal opportunity to learn and thrive. After receiving a B.A. in English Literature at Stanford, Jenna attended the Stanford Teacher Education Program focusing extensively on English language development, students with identified special needs, and building equitable classrooms.

She has been a classroom teacher both in Ravenswood and Palo Alto. In both districts she was a leader in reading recovery, literacy intervention, and teacher training. She is excellent at developing programs to meet the diverse needs of students.

Currently, Jenna is a Senior Director at the New Teacher Center, where she collaborates with and supervises a team of 15 educators to provide professional development to teachers, coaches, and school leaders around quality early learning teaching practices.

Jenna brings extensive work experience in education, top notch interpersonal skills, and dedication to the Ravenswood students and community. Her experience and insight will give a fresh perspective to REF and the district during an exciting time of growth and transition. The REF Board and I are delighted to welcome Jenna as our new Executive Director. Renu is committed to ensuring a smooth transition over the summer and will remain on the board.

I'm deeply grateful for your continued support of REF. It is because of partners like you that REF continues to grow and greatly enhance the lives of students.

Warmly,
Ann Carter
President, REF Board

A Note from our Exec. Director

6/19/2019

Dear Friends,

As important members of the REF community, I wanted to let you know that I intend to step down as Executive Director of the Ravenswood Education Foundation this summer. I will remain on the REF board and stay deeply involved in the community. I look forward to having a little more time to travel and visit family, improve my Spanish, and maybe perfect an omelet.

Being the ED of REF for the past eight years has been my dream job. REF has been an all-consuming passion and I've approached the role with the utmost sense of commitment and responsibility to the children, families, teachers and staff of the District. When I began, I was uncertain that I was up to the task. I had never run an organization, fundraised, managed a board, or worked in education. My overriding objective was to build a bridge in our community and create a shared sense of responsibility for educating all of our children. I am ever so grateful for volunteers, who lead with their hearts, donors, who open new opportunities for our students, Ravenswood educators, whose commitment and skill blow me away every day, and the families and students who deserve a quality education.

My transition is made easier by how much progress REF has made over the years and how much new hope and promise there is for the future in the District. Over the next few months, I hope to connect with you and thank you for your support of our community. I hope we can count on your continued commitment to REF, as your involvement has made a difference in the lives of thousands of children, and will continue to do so. Gina Sudaria, Interim Superintendent, is infusing everyone with her optimism and urgency to make improvements in our District. I am excited for the next chapter for Ravenswood.

The REF board has formed a Transition Committee to find a new Executive Director. As the board conducts its search in the coming months, it welcomes your input in identifying candidates. For more information please email here.

I know that together we will not only continue to do good work, but we can do transformative work. Please don't hesitate to reach out at any time.

Warmly,

Renu Nanda
650-380-0902
Rnanda@ravenswoodef.org

Facing Homelessness as a Student

2/7/2019

Homelessness is the brutal reality for many Ravenswood school district students in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.

"Maddie told her friends what was happening when her family was staying in the garage and how it made her feel. Since many of them had been homeless themselves, they took it in stride. 'They told me it was fine,' she says. 'They said nobody has it easy.' In their world, homelessness is not a crisis. It’s part of life." -Mercury News Article

Read More...www.mercurynews.com

Mercury News Article

A Welcome Message from the Executive Director of the Ravenswood Education Foundation

9/10/2018

RAVENSWOOD EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Making a Difference

The Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF) is committed to ensuring equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for Ravenswood students by building on local strengths and engaging the entire community.

Welcome back to the '18-'19 school year in Ravenswood. I am excited to see our school campuses once again filled with the bright and eager faces of our students.

With a record $3.9MM raised last year, this year the Ravenswood Education Foundation will continue to fund art and music teachers, Makerspaces, science labs, summer school, mental health counselors, a guidance counselor, professional development and teacher leader stipends. Additionally, we will build on last year’s successful pilot and fund a reading intervention teacher at every school to provide the intensive support needed to help more of our students read at grade level. We truly could not do this work without you.

During this coming year, there are many ways you can support our Ravenswood students:

1) Donate to our Annual Campaign. Look out for our Annual Report mailed mid-September. Your donations help us provide grants to the school district to hire the necessary teachers, guidance counselors and staff for our initiatives. As always, REF holds the district accountable for the delivery and impact of all programs as we monitor progress and outcomes.

2) Volunteer. We have many ways you can help. Please email Jazmin for more information on any of the items below.

Adopt-a-Teacher pairs volunteers with teachers to provide critical classroom supplies. Join us for coffee on September 6th at 9am to learn more.
Adopt-a-School is a meaningful way to support teachers with staff appreciation meals twice a year.
Our libraries, science labs, and Makerspaces always need volunteers and corporate partners to provide our students with exposure to experiences and connections.
We welcome one-time volunteer efforts, and drives for specific needs in our community.

3) Attend our Gala. Our signature fundraising event of the year will be held at the Four Seasons on Saturday, March 2, 2019. If you would like to host a table, donate a live auction item or wines, or support the event in any way, please email our Gala co-hosts, Emily Lopez and Sarah Speakman. There will be an informational coffee for potential new table hosts on October 17th at 10am.

4) Attend an Informational Gathering. Throughout the fall we will host some insight events to share our successes and challenges, and offer you a chance to hear from people on the ground who are impacting student lives each day. Please let Jazmin know if you are interested in attending or hosting one of these smaller events.

While the district faces challenges, we at REF remain wholeheartedly focused on students. These children do not access Tinsley, charters, or private schools, but they deserve art, music, science, specialist literacy instruction, mental health support, and technology opportunities. We cannot let them down.

Here’s to a great year ahead!
Warmly,

Renu Nanda
Executive Director, Ravenswood Education Foundation
rnanda@ravenswoodef.org