Dollars for the District - Give Today

Dear Berkley School District community, 

We are winding down what has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging years of our lives. Through the ups and downs of 2020 one thing has held steady - supporting organizations that are near and dear to our hearts is more important than it ever has been. In our local community, I have seen a beautiful generosity of spirit and giving.

One of the organizations most important to me is the Berkley Education Foundation. The BEF funds outstanding experiences for Berkley Schools students and staff. I have had the privilege of donating my time and energy to the schools throughout the last decade. My wife and I have lived in the District for nearly 20 years. Our daughters, Lauren and Riley, have been blessed to learn at Burton Elementary, Norup Middle School and now Berkley High. I have seen the incredible dedication of our teachers and school administrators to lift students academically and emotionally, especially during this unusual school year.

I am honored to serve as the President of the Berkley Education Foundation (BEF) and as Honorary Chairperson for this year’s Dollars for the District Campaign. Through the generosity of our community, and the efforts of many dedicated volunteers over the last decade, the BEF has given back more than $300,000 to the Berkley School District. 

That money has been invested throughout the years in elementary enrichment programs, teacher grants, college tours and student scholarships. We look forward to supporting our schools during COVID-19 learning through staff innovation-grants, dollars to support staff and students while remote learning and stepping in to fill financial gaps where needed.

During this holiday season, I would like to call on all my fellow parents, grandparents, guardians and community members to help us continue to support our children and provide opportunities for their growth. Your generosity will help us achieve our 2020 goal of raising $15,000. Please join me in making a donation to the BEF.  Donating any amount to the Berkley Education Foundation, whether $25 or $2,500 will directly impact students in the Berkley Schools. Please help the BEF continue the essential work of enriching our students’ lives now and in the future.

Wishing each of you a safe and happy holiday season. 

Sincerely,

Kevin B. Schnieders
Berkley Schools Parent & BEF President

November 2019

Dear Berkley School District family,

This is the perfect time of the year for each of us to take a moment and reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives. Even through the challenges that life can bring, there are still blessings for which we can be thankful. I am personally grateful for such a strong school community, caring individuals and great neighbors that make Berkley Schools a wonderful place to send my most precious possessions - my three children.

Over the last 12 years within the Berkley School District community, my husband and I have seen and experienced the progressive and innovative opportunities provided to all children. Berkley is a high performing school district both in academics and in its dedication to nurturing students into successful young adults. Our three children have continued to thrive as individuals with the support of the administration, teachers, staff and parent volunteers.

This year I am serving as the honorary Dollars for the District campaign chair. As a member of the Berkley Schools community I have also had the honor of serving as the volunteer Director of the Berkley Saturdays for Success tutoring program for the last 8 years, serving on building PTAs and Berkley Area PTSA Council, leading the Berkley African American Parent Network and serving on the board of the Berkley Education Foundation. I have been amazed at the number of dedicated parent volunteers throughout our school district. An important asset that makes Berkley Schools great are the committed parents and community members who work so hard to support students with enriching opportunities.

One of the key gateways to providing these enriching opportunities and experiences for our students is through the Berkley Education Foundation. Since 2010, the Foundation has invested $269,802 in providing elementary enrichment programs, mini-grants to teachers, college tours, and student scholarships for Berkley students. Did you know the Berkley Education Foundation has sponsored enrichment classes in every Berkley elementary and middle school at no cost to families? The Foundation has also paid for every 8th grade student in the District to take a tour of a university campus so that students can envision their possibilities after graduation.

During this holiday season I would like to call on all my fellow parents, grandparents, guardians and community members to please help us continue to support our children and provide opportunities for their growth. I humbly ask that you consider making a donation of any amount to the Berkley Education Foundation, whether $25 or $2,500. Please help the Berkley Education Foundation continue the essential work of enriching our students’ lives.

Wishing each of you a happy holiday season,

Khadija Walker-Fobbs
Berkley Schools Parent & BEF Trustee

P.S. Please mark your calendar for “Off to the Races,” our signature fundraising event, on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at Club Venetian. Tickets are on sale now.

Letter to print with donation tear off

November 2018

Dear Berkley School District neighbors and families,

As we pause this time of year to reflect on our blessings of family, friendship and our freedom, I would like to humbly suggest we add our community and the Berkley School District to the list. As this year’s honorary Dollars for the District annual campaign chair, and as Secretary of the Berkley Education Foundation Board, I have the privilege of seeing first-hand the opportunities our children have to flourish and grow to be their best.

The importance of service came early, as my father Arnold served on the Berkley School District Board of Education for 12 years. We have lived in this school district since 1965, and like my three siblings I am a Berkley High School graduate. My wife, Valerie, has taught at Angell Elementary for 14 years, and our two children have made us proud in wearing the Maroon and Blue as BHS alumni.

When asked what is key to the school district’s success, one thing that really stands out is our ability to do more with less. Our focus and resources are measured against the goal of putting the best teachers and mentors in the classroom with our students and giving them the right environment and experiences to foster critical thinking, a measure of fairness and their own moral compass to lead the way. The Berkley Education Foundation, with your support, adds those extra layers that enrich their traditional classroom experiences.

Since 2010, the foundation has invested over $207,802 in the staff and students in our District. These funds have gone directly into the classroom through teacher mini-grants, supporting STEM activities with the annual Maxfield Science Symposium scholarships, and enrichment programs in every elementary school. This year will also be the fifth time we will take every 8th grade student on a tour of a University campus, lab and classroom so they can begin to envision their own post-Berkley options. For many, it is their first time in a college environment, the type of visit that builds confidence that they belong.

Please help us to keep this momentum by considering a gift of support that is meaningful to you and that will make an impact. Every gift, whether $25, $2,500 or something in-between, helps provide the fuel and energy to keep these programs moving forward. In fact, every $150 donated in this drive will send five (5) 8th graders to college campuses.

Strong communities are built with strong schools. Please join me in helping the Berkley Education Foundation partner in this success.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season,

Steve Shifman, BHS ’82

P.S. Please mark your calendar for “Off to the Races,” our signature fundraising event, on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Club Venetian. Tickets are on sale now.

Letter to print with donation tear off

2017 Dollars for the District Letter

Dear Berkley School District Community Member,

While writing this letter as the 2017 honorary chair of the Berkley Education Foundation’s Dollars for the District campaign, I took a moment to reflect on the word “community” and the role of those in it.
A community can loosely be described as a group of people with common interests who live in a particular area. I think this certainly fits the stakeholders of the Berkley School District. My wife Janis and I have lived in Berkley for over 37 years. We raised our four sons here, and they were fortunate to attend Pattengill and Rogers Elementary Schools, Anderson Middle School and Berkley High School. I made lifetime friends coaching in the Berkley Dad’s Club baseball league and served as its president. Today, even with my coaching days behind me, I enjoy supporting the many athletic and extracurricular organizations with those lawn signs you’ll find throughout the area celebrating a Berkley Schools student or team. We donate these signs because we are part of the community, and the community is part of us.

The success that we enjoy in the District, now in its 177th year of excellence, is no accident. It happens because of the determination and will of its leadership, its citizens and its community. For years now we as students, parents and educators have been fortunate to partner with the Berkley Education Foundation to provide the additional tools and resources needed to elevate the educational experience from good to great. To continue that momentum, I am asking you to join me in making a meaningful dollar contribution to the BEF as part of your annual giving.

Since 2010, the foundation has invested over $199,000 in the staff and students in our district. These funds have gone directly into the classroom through teacher mini-grants, supporting budding scientists with annual Maxfield Science Symposium scholarships, and enrichment programs to enhance student learning outside the classroom. Earlier this Fall nearly 400 8th graders from Norup International and Anderson Middle School visited University of Detroit Mercy to better envision what their future may look like as a college student. A trip to another campus is in the works for Spring. For most, this was their first time in a college environment.

Please consider making a gift to the BEF, whether it be $25, $2,500 or somewhere in-between to continue our investment in programs, technology and enrichment activities. In fact, every $150 will send five (5) students for two college campus visits again next year! I encourage you to make your gift safely online today.

Strong schools help make strong communities and strong communities make strong schools. Please join me in helping the Berkley Education Foundation make the Berkley School District the best it can be.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season,

Rich Melin
Owner, Plasti-Fab, Inc.

A Letter from the Dollars for the District Honoray Chair, BHS Alum Lyle Wolberg

Dear Berkley School District Community Member:

I am pleased to be writing you as the honorary chair of the Berkley Education Foundation’s annual Dollars for the District campaign. My roots in the area run deep – both my sister and I are proud graduates of Burton, Norup and Berkley High Schools. Today, my own children are thriving in the district, and I am proud that my father, Gerald, was able to serve as a member of the School Board for many years.

The success that we enjoy in the district, now in its 176th year of excellence, is no accident. It happens because of the determination and will of its leadership, its citizens and its community. For years now we as students, parents and educators have been fortunate to partner with the Berkley Education Foundation to provide the additional tools and resources needed to elevate the educational experience from good to great. To continue that ascent, I am asking you to join me in making a meaningful dollar contribution to the BEF as part of your annual giving.

Since 2010, the Foundation has invested over $184,000 in the staff and students in our district. These funds have gone directly into the classroom through teacher mini-grants, supported budding scientists with annual Maxfield Science Symposium competition scholarships, and just last year helped 337 8th graders from Norup International and Anderson Middle School visit two college campuses to better envision what their future will look like as a college student. For most, this was their first time in this environment.

Please consider making a gift to the BEF, whether it be $25, $2,500 or somewhere in-between to continue our investment in programs, technology and enrichment activities. In fact, every $150 will send five (5) students for two college campus visits again this year! I encourage you to make your gift safely online today.

Strong schools help make strong communities and strong communities make strong schools. Please join me in helping the Berkley Education Foundation make the Berkley School District the best it can be.

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season,

Lyle Wolberg
BHS Class of 1987