Every donation made a difference! There were folks who gave last year but could not this year and new donors that we didn’t have last year, so it is a true celebration that the All Children – All Day, Find a Way! Full Day Kindergarten banquet and pledge drive grossed $75,000 to nearly exactly match last year’s efforts, and will provide 26 to 27 full scholarships. It is with great gratitude and humbleness that the committee extends its thanks to each and every donor. What an amazing community effort! Special thanks to the Enumclaw Rotary Foundation for pledging four full scholarships, a whopping $10,000, for a second year, and to Scott Megargle of White Linen Catering for underwriting most of the cost of the dinner.
This remarkable community support allows the Enumclaw School District to assure patrons there will be a full-day kindergarten in every elementary building, thereby helping to sustain the integrity of the program across the district. The 26 full scholarships not only supports the future success of those children who most need this extended educational experience, but helps fill classrooms in every building and saves jobs.
Early education is critical for future educational success, especially for children who come to kindergarten with learning challenges, family hardships, or no English language skills. The spring forward they can receive through the district’s premiere full-day kindergarten helps them be on a par with peers when they enter first grade. This affects success for all students, and student achievement districtwide.
The vision remains All Children – All Day, not just the most needy. The Schools Foundation Full Day Kindergarten Committee is working to establish data that we believe will help us get larger grants to offer full day at a reduced cost to all families. It was especially heartening to see some of our legislators, Sen. Pam Roach and Reps. Pat Sullivan and Chris Hurst, in attendance at the banquet. When funding for the state’s promised support of full-day kindergarten for all students finally becomes available we hope they will remember Enumclaw’s superior community efforts to sustain the program that was previously funded by voter approved I-728 money and offered free to all children for six years in this district.
Meanwhile, our thanks to the amazing table captains and our community for your tremendous support.
Nancy Merrill, Jennifer Longmire, Mike Nelson, Keri Marquand, Dianna Perry, Janie Ingroum, Jody Horn, LeeAnn Paschich, Tina McGann, Lea Tiger, Susan Arbury, Steve Taylor, Trisha Blackburn, Meri Miller, Debbie Evans, Sara Hartjoy and Denise Kellogg
