Ringing in the New Year

Happy New Year! The spirit of renewal and opportunity that accompanies the turning of the calendar from the last month of the "old year" to the first of the "new year" is palpable right now.   This year in particular promises to be an exciting one for CEEF as 2012 marks the organization's tenth anniversary!  During its 10-year history, CEEF has granted over $900 thousand to Cape Elizabeth public schools, helping to sustain a tradition of excellence in education.

Our ability to positively impact the schools at such an impressive level is directly attributable to the financial and volunteer support provided by local businesses and community members including those who contribute time and talent to our Board of Directors.  This month we welcome several new community members to our board:  Lindsay Alexander, Ken Barber, Brian Guthrie, Beth Herriman, Christine Laughlin and Catherine Miller.  As we look forward to the new ideas and energy that these people will undoubtedly share with CEEF, we bid a fond farewell to our retiring members: Joel Bassett, Mary Brett, Dan Fishbein and Hulda Khalidi.  We are most grateful for the many ways they helped sustain and improve CEEF during their board tenures.

While we take time to celebrate our past successes throughout this anniversary year we remain mindful of our responsibility to maintain CEEF's vibrancy and its ability to fund future initiatives supporting innovation and excellence in Cape Elizabeth's public schools.  We invite your suggestions and welcome your volunteer efforts and financial support.

Trish Brigham, Co-President 

Recognizing with Gratitude the Multitude of Treasures here in Cape Elizabeth

If I had to pick one word that pervades thoughts and activities at this time of year, it would be gratitude. Each of us probably can identify at least one blessing bestowed upon us during 2011, in spite of the fact that this year will be annotated in history books for its economic turmoil, political strife, social protests, and in some cases, personal tragedy.  Beautiful sunrises, cool ocean breezes, colorful fall trail walks, warm smiles or a phone call from a friend or neighbor at just the right moment - all are treasures that so many of us enjoy here in Cape Elizabeth (and perhaps take for granted).

In the spirit of the season, CEEF would like to express its appreciation for the efforts of so many who support the work of our Education Foundation, Cape Elizabeth public schools and the community's youth.  Through the generous support of our donors and volunteers, we awarded nearly $60,000 in grants this year.  These grants funded professional development for teachers in everything from art residencies and foreign language studies to classroom culture/management workshops.  The largest initiative receiving CEEF funding this year was a one-to-one mobile technology grant through which iPads and supportive technology training were provided to all high school teachers.  Representing a collaborative effort between CEEF and the school district, which will purchase iPads for high school students, this grant introduces into our schools a tool viewed by many as having the potential to transform instruction and student learning.

This fall, we also joined the community in welcoming our new Superintendent, Meredith Nadeau.  We have met with Superintendent Nadeau who brings great experience, energizing perspectives and creative ideas to our schools. CEEF looks forward to partnering with her as the educational leader of the district, as we all share the desire to maintain excellence in our schools in an era of challenging financial circumstances. 

CEEF would like to reiterate its thanks for your consistent support of our efforts to foster innovation and excellence in our schools. We hope that you and your family enjoy the upcoming season of celebration and giving.

Sincerely,

Trish Brigham
President-elect

Speeding into the "new" year with an eye on future events

It’s hard to imagine that we are already through the first quarter of 2011.  We continue to see many challenges facing our school leaders who have worked hard to put together a school budget.  It appears our outstanding interim superintendent has put together a budget that will maintain our excellent schools without over-burdening our taxpayers.  In these difficult times, the funding CEEF provides through its grant process is even more important.  We now have funded more than $830,000 in grants since CEEF’s inception.

We continue to reach out to alumni and founders as well as those families whose children are currently going through the school system.  It takes an entire community to support the goals and aspirations of our teachers and students.  Cape residents have, for generations, supported and helped build one of the finest school systems in New England.  I’m confident our administrators and school board will spend our tax dollars efficiently and keep our schools at the high levels to which we are accustomed.

We have some exciting things ahead of us this quarter, starting with the grant cycle coming up in May.  I’m sure we will be presented with some innovative and inspiring grant requests from our teachers, staff and administrators.  As a foundation we remind ourselves that our job is to raise the funds to provide for these grants.  These grants, in turn, pay for those important items and programs that are outside the school budget’s capacity.

In September we are holding our first biennial golf tournament at the Purpoodock Club.  We hope to encourage many members of the Cape Elizabeth community to support CEEF, and by extension our schools, with this new fundraiser.  We will be looking for sponsors, auction items and golfers to make this a big success.  Look for more details on the golf tournament on our website in the coming weeks.

Thank you for your continued support in making the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation one of the best in New England.

Tim Thompson, CEEF President 2011

Stepping aside, staying involved

As the year comes to a close, I've attempted to reach out to the founders of CEEF, to its most ardent supporters, and to its growing membership.  Each has such an important role in our success: without the vision of the founders we would not exist; without the dedication of our regular donors our grant making would not continue; and without our new supporters we would not benefit from fresh perspective and renewed interest in the goals we've set. 

I have been thrilled to lead our board of directors for the past two years, and wish to thank every donor, every teacher, and every volunteer who has contributed to the achievement over those years.  It has been a pleasure to get to know so many of our educators and administrators, to meet students I wouldn't have otherwise had contact with, and to hear from community members about how they'd like to see CEEF continue to make a positive impact in our schools.

This year our two grant cycle awards contributed to a total of more than $830,000 that has been put creatively to use in our schools since 2002.  The funds are transformed into teacher grants, technology, professional development and exciting off-campus opportunities for students and staff alike.  The difficult economy has meant increasingly tricky evaluation of what it is to be “innovative and excellent,” but we believe that we are doing justice to those words that are as motivating to our board today as they likely were nearly ten years ago.

This year, despite obvious financial challenges in philanthropy across the country, we were able to capitalize on the success of our fundraising, especially the popular 2^nd Maine Home & Design/CEEF Kitchen Tour, and surpass our budgeted allotment for the endowment.  Its balance is now in excess of $305,000; well on its way to providing a long-lasting source of exciting difference-making initiatives.  These net successes also resulted in our expenses being lower than budgeted; another important accomplishment in tough times.

In January I will move back to a committee seat for the remainder of my second term on the board and hand the reins to fellow board member Tim Thompson.  Tim will bring his unique perspective of having raised five children here in Cape Elizabeth, all of whom attended the Cape schools to which Tim is dedicated.  I know that he will value the feedback and encouragement that so many of you generously offered to me over these two years of my leadership.

As I’ve said before, our most exciting grant is the one we haven’t yet funded.  The opportunities are limitless.

A happy and prosperous New Year to you and yours,

Christine 

Enjoying the final precious summer moments, anticipating the school year to come

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the beach is still calling my name.  It can’t be September!  Alas, my calendar tends toward truthfulness, oftentimes against my wishes.

We begin another school year with sobering economic news and changes to grow accustomed to.  While these times require a community effort of cutting back and prioritizing, they also call for a beacon of hope and optimism for our teachers and their students.  CEEF aims to be a consistent and dependable resource for our creative and dynamic teachers.  The support we receive from our donors throughout the year make this goal achievable, through our grant program and our growing endowment.

Another form of CEEF support comes in the form of events, and this month marks our second Maine Home + Design Cape Elizabeth Kitchen Tour.  On September 11 from 10:00 – 4:00, twelve beautiful Cape Elizabeth homes will be open to tour-goers, allowing us a glimpse into kitchens designed and built by local craftsmen.  The sponsors of the event provide a generous source of revenue for CEEF, and we encourage you to visit their websites, purchase their wares, and keep their names for future opportunities in your own homes. 

The composition of our board has endured change of late, as we have said farewell to directors Jennifer Duddy and to Sara Laprade.  Jennifer’s role in the office of US Senator Susan Collins has grown and takes her to exciting and often far-off places, the demands of which have required paring down her volunteer time.  Sara departs to devote her energy and time to family issues.  Both Jennifer and Sara have served the board with dedication and passion and will be missed greatly. 

The fall will lead us to winter as it always does, and many of the changes in our schools will have become routine to students, teachers and parents.  Another change awaits however, as the retirement of our superintendent on December 31 marks the end of five years with Mr. Hawkins at the helm of our “ship.”  Needless to say, the waters have not always been calm, and he has served as a reliable and resilient captain for us during some very difficult times.  Much has been accomplished during these five years thanks to Mr. Hawkins’ leadership, and we at CEEF have nurtured a relationship with our administration via the superintendent that has arguably strengthened our foundation’s role in the district.  Mr. Hawkins has agreed to stay on through April 15^th to assist with transition; we look forward to these months and value the experience and guidance that he will provide to the district.

So begins another school year and so continues the cycle of change to which we will adapt.  The new-school-year energy is always a lift, and I’m excited by the possibilities that lie ahead and the role which CEEF might play in making a difference in our classrooms.  Till then, I think one more beach day is calling my name . . .