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By Mariah McCleskey As a Board Member of the Foundation for VPS and as a parent of three students, I’m grateful to be part of a community that is so deeply committed to helping all children thrive. If students do not come to school with what they need, learning will not happen. As a teacher in the district, I have witnessed first-hand the difference it makes when we work as a community to help vulnerable students connect to needed services and support. Last spring, I was teaching an Intensive Literature class at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. The class had many... Read More

Community Members Gather to Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Foundation for VPS Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools Announces Record High Pledge of $500,000 More than 500 community members gathered at the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) annual luncheon, celebrating the organization’s 30th anniversary and raising over $250,000 to support VPS students. During the event, Executive Director Nada Wheelock announced the largest single individual donation ever pledged, $500,000, by an anonymous donor. “In our 30th year, support for students has never been stronger,” said Wheelock. “We are grateful to our generous event sponsors and all of our donors for demonstrating their... Read More

Vancouver Public School’s annual giving campaign raised a record $263,000 for the Foundation for VPS, with 50% percent of staff participating and student drives at all district schools. Contributions made to the Annual Campaign allow the Foundation for VPS to fund students’ most pressing needs. These contributions fund basic needs support in every school, provide mentoring programs, support Family-Community Resource Center programming for families in need, and enrichment grants for innovative school projects. “The Foundation for VPS was started 29 years ago thanks to the generosity of teachers and staff. That tradition continues with teachers, staff, students and families joining... Read More

(Image: Grant-funded mural created by the M.E.Ch.A. student group at Fort Vancouver High School and displayed at the Vancouver Police West Precinct.) During 2016-17, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools invested over $130,000 to fund more than 50 enrichment activities and 9 mentoring programs, which benefited over 20,000 students at all VPS schools. To better align with the strategic efforts of Vancouver Public Schools and to provide more flexibility to each school, the Foundation for VPS has announced the expansion of the school grant program for the 2017-18 school year. Beginning this fall, the new Foundation for VPS “Engagement Grant”... Read More

Click here to visit Annual Campaign site. The 2017 Annual Staff Campaign is taking place in all district buildings between now and November 17. Student-led fund-raisers will run November 6-17. The district’s annual employee giving campaign allows VPS employees to donate to nonprofit organizations which benefit VPS students. Employees can designation contributions through payroll deduction or other methods to the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, Citizen’s Committee for Good Schools, or the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. During the 2016 campaign, over 50% of staff made a contribution, giving nearly $198,000. Of the total, $177,000 was designated to the Foundation... Read More

The Write from the Start School Supply Drive presented by Dick Hannah Dealerships is July 20 – August 20.  Did you know that over 50 percent of students enrolled in Vancouver Public Schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of poverty? In addition, the number of district students who are homeless or living in transition is at an all-time high of more than 1000 during the last school year. For these students’ families, and many others, new school supplies often are difficult or impossible to afford. Not having the right tools makes it hard for these students to begin... Read More

The Firstenburg Foundation has awarded the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (FVPS) a $25,000 grant in their latest grant cycle. This grant is in addition to a $25,000 awarded December 2016. The grants will be used to support the expansion of the community schools model in Vancouver Public Schools (VPS). “The community schools model builds on an understanding that schools do not thrive on taxpayer support alone. Private contributions play a key role in direct support for students, while taxpayer funding supports staff and organization of schools to more effectively engage community support,” says Nada Wheelock, Foundation for VPS Executive... Read More

Source: Vancouver Public Schools, Communications department. (2017, February 15). VPS bond passes with overwhelming support. [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.flashalert.net/id/VancouverSchDist The Vancouver community showed its support for schools on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The $458 million bond measure is currently passing with nearly 70 percent approval. Voters overwhelmingly approved the capital construction bond measure for Vancouver Public Schools with 69.74 percent (updated 2/16/17). Validation of the measure came a day after the election. An updated ballot count provided the required 27,000 votes to validate the measure. VPS has received a total of 28,660 votes, 19,969 of which were “yes” votes. The... Read More

Umpqua Bank’s Charitable Foundation has awarded the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools an $8,000 Community Giving grant. The funds will be used to expand family engagement activities in Vancouver Public Schools, including experiences and academic-focused events for parents to become involved in their child’s academic success. Umpqua Bank recently announced Community Giving grant awards totaling more than $311,000, with recipients in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada. Since 2014, the Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation has invested in organizations focused on children’s education and well-being. The bank’s Community Giving grants fund programs that create opportunities for early childhood and K-12 youth... Read More

With the end of the school year approaching, Hazel Dell Elementary School fifth grade student Sarah Payne wanted to do something to give back to her school. She recalled learning about the importance of community giving from her first grade teacher and worked with her parents to organize her own fundraiser, “Sarah’s Give Back Campaign”. “As I get ready to move into middle school next year, I want to give back to my elementary school that’s given me so much over six years,” stated Sarah in her fundraising materials. Sarah chose to do a triathlon doing the activities she loved; swimming,... Read More

Interim Executive Director Nada Wheelock rises to the top in national search for the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools Executive Director position. Wheelock has served as the interim executive director since July, 2016. She previously served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors and the Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors. Wheelock is a senior leader who brings to the Foundation strong change management and leadership skills. She has a proven track record of building and cultivating personal and professional relationships and managing multiple stakeholders across organizations to collaborate and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. She will be charged with growing capacity,... Read More

Vancouver Energy announced that the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools is the recipient of a $12,000 Community Fund Grant to help fund the Family Engagement Project. This project promotes engagement at all levels – from the school to the parents and students, extending to the business community and community at large – in order to achieve lasting educational success. As part of its 2015 funding cycle, the Vancouver Energy Community Fund awarded grants to six local organizations. Visit Vancouver Energy’s website to find out more about the Community Fund or click here to read the Vancouver Business Journal article.

The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (FVPS) announces additions to the board for 2015/2016: Jennifer Blechschmidt—Principal, Eisenhower Elementary School Teri Davis—President, Vancouver PTA Council Rob Duncan—Associate Principal, Columbia River High School Rosemary Fryer—Director, Vancouver Public Schools Board Tracie Jellison—Vice President-Business Lending, Columbia Credit Union Chris Lewis—CPA, LewisGroup CPAs Cindy Luckman—Senior Vice President, Managing Director, The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank Megan Vickery—Associate Principal, McLoughlin Middle School The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1988, provides funds for basic needs, enrichment and mentoring programs. Programs funded by the Foundation include Kindergarten Jump Start, Lunch Buddies, Principals... Read More

Original source: The Columbian, October 2015 We believe all students deserve the opportunity to be successful. As Superintendent Steve Webb writes in this op-ed, our supportive community is critical in helping with this work. As a result, we’re transforming outcomes for students. Read the full story in The Columbian.

Lunch Buddy Mentoring program graduates reflect on their experiences as they complete high school and prepare for college. Read more:  http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/jun/19/lunch-buddy-trio-mentor-break-bread-once-more/ *Photo courtesy of The Columbian.