| How can $25 help solve our future problems? Keep reading about the Future Problem Solving Program in U-46. With four competitive components, Global Issues Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving, Scenario Writing, and Scenario Performance, the Future Problem Solving Program develops the ability of young people to remedy future problems through critical and creative thinking. In 2019, Mrs. Ellen Smith's 8th-grade Future Problem Solvers team (shown here) scored first in the state and moved on to the international competition. However, this was not surprising. At least one of her teams has advanced to the international competition every year for the past three years! This fall, Mrs. Smith told us her teams, consisting of 4th through 10th graders from various U-46 schools, fundraise throughout the year to pay for their team expenses, which include registration fees. However, COVID canceled their largest fundraiser, and she was afraid that her students' families might not be able to afford registration fees this year. A $1,500 grant from the Foundation will help offset registration fees for the 36 U-46 students competing in the Future Problem Solvers this year. You can make a difference for the U-46 teachers, like Mrs. Smith, who have big dreams for their students and for the U-46 students who are pursuing those dreams! |
| | Read more stories below to hear how grants from the U-46 Educational Foundation are benefitting students throughout the District. |
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|  | Get ready Kimball Middle School Students! Your PE teacher, Mr. Wielgus, wanted to find some new and fun ways to get you moving when you return to school. He applied to the U-46 Educational Foundation for a grant to fund new PE equipment, including this Warrior Rope Anchor with 30' ropes. Click here for a video of the anchor in action. When the boxes of new equipment arrived this week, Mr. Wielgus told us he was like a child on Christmas morning! Already this school year your donations to the U-46 Educational Foundation funded 23 projects like Mr. Wielgus'! Thank you for making a difference for our students! With your support, more projects can be funded in the spring. A gift to the U-46 Educational Foundation, in any amount, will help fund future projects throughout U-46, but we cannot do it without your help. Please consider a donation today. |
| Become a monthly contributor! By becoming a monthly contributor, your tax-deductible contribution will be charged directly to your credit or debit card every month - automatically. No checks, no envelopes, no stamps, and no need to remember to donate! Just direct support to our students and schools. Plus, you can break a bigger donation into small, manageable monthly contributions. |
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 | Thank You, American Honda Finance Corporation! Six of our 23 teacher and staff grants this year were chosen for funding by American Honda Finance Corporation, including the following projects: - Assistive Technology Lending Library, submitted by Occupational Therapist, Mary Lee (read more below)
- Teaching Tolerance, Inclusiveness, and Diversity; submitted by Independence Early Learning Center teacher, Brandy Carbery
- Heavy Motor Breaks for Autistic Students, submitted by Centennial Elementary School teacher, Michelle Taylor
- Little Free Library, submitted by Hillcrest Elementary School librarian, Mandy Hanson
- Growing our Kinder-garden: Outdoor Learning Space, submitted by the team of kindergarten teachers at Sycamore Trails Elementary School
- Worm Bin/Seed Library, submitted by Horizon Elementary School paraeducator, Michele Brodbeck
Thank you American Honda Finance Corporation for funding these projects! More Thanks - We would also like to thank the Elgin History Forum for their recent donation to the U-46 Educational Foundation! Thank you Elgin History Forum! |
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|  | It Starts With U! November 30 through December 11, the Foundation held our Employee Giving Campaign, It Starts With You! We cannot say, 'thank you' enough! Although we are grateful for support from all of our donors, we are particularly moved when U-46 staff and teachers, who already give so much to our students, choose to support our mission. Your collective support raised over $16,000 for U-46, money which will be reinvested in U-46 students, schools, teachers, and staff. Your donations make teacher and staff grants, like the ones you are reading about today, possible. Plus, it also funds district-wide initiatives like Project Backpack, TalentFest, and scholarships for our senior class. Please, watch this video message from the U-46 Educational Foundation Board President, Bud Wilson, and some of the Foundation's friends.  |
| Giving to the U-46 Educational Foundation helps students, teachers, and staff, but it can help you deduct even more on your taxes. The CARES Act increased charitable giving incentives, including a universal deduction which will allow all taxpayers to claim a charitable deduction for cash donations up to $300 through December 31. The CARES Act also temporarily suspended limits on charitable contributions. Make your tax-deductible donation before the year ends! |
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 | You are taking away some of the challenges of distance learning. While distance learning can be hard for any student, some students have additional physical challenges that can make using a mouse or a keyboard difficult. That's where Mary Lee, Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist at U-46, comes in. Knowing that some students or staff may benefit from an alternate keyboard or mouse, Ms. Lee used the Illinois Assistive Technology Lending Library in Springfield to borrow assistive devices for a five week period. She would take data and get feedback from the student and the student's team on whether the equipment worked for them. If it was not a good match, she would put in another request to try something else. Each request took time, and if the item she needed was already on loan, she would be put on a waiting list. While Lee was grateful for the Illinois Assistive Technology Lending Library, she knew there could be a better way. Ms. Lee applied for a grant from the U-46 Educational Foundation to purchase the test devices to have more assistive devices in-house. With an in-house lending library, the time it takes to get devices into the hands of our students is greatly reduced. You made learning easier for U-46 students with special needs. Please make sure that projects like Ms. Lee's continue to get the support they need with a donation to the U-46 Educational Foundation today. Click here to get started. |
| |  | The U-46 Educational Foundation is proud to once again earn Guidestar's Platinum Seal of Transparency! |
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| | Remember to give back to the U-46 Educational Foundation when shopping on Amazon this holiday season! |
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|  | AmazonSmile customers can now support U-46 Educational Foundation in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations. - Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
- Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
- Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions. |
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| | If you did not receive this newsletter as an email, you can subscribe by clicking the subscribe button above. |
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| Email the U-46 Educational Foundation Coordinator, Dawn Curran at dawncurran@u-46.org.
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