Contact: Kathy Gevlin 693-2875

The mood was extremely positive and future-oriented at the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation Town meeting, held December 3^rd at the Embassy Club. While local magician Pino Gareri entertained the children, their parents and other community members feasted on a broad selection of food – and an even broader display of information about Dobbs Ferry Schools.

The Foundation, which in seven years has raised more than $2.5 million for Dobbs Ferry schools, hosted the meeting to let community members learn about the variety of Foundation-sponsored programs that are significantly enhancing the learning experience of Dobbs Ferry students Those programs range from Teacher Incentive Grants, which provide interested teachers with the funds they need to bring innovative teaching ideas to life, to the funding of cultural and performance arts programs for students, to academic scholarships for students who have distinguished themselves both in academic performance, and in their contribution to community life.

At the meeting, community members had an opportunity to chat with High School students who directly benefit from Foundation programs. International Baccalaureate diploma candidates explained the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, an acclaimed advanced learning program, which this year alone has drawn five out-of-district students to Dobbs Ferry High School. There were chemistry students running experiments with state-of-the-art equipment paid for by the foundation. There were students from the District’s TV studio soliciting ideas from the community for future programming. (For the past two years the Foundation has devoted substantial funds toward the District’s Media program, with the goal of making better use of the district’s Cable TV studio.)

The meeting also featured a booth devoted to technology, specifically to the Dobbs Ferry School District’s recently announced plans to vastly expand technological classroom resources. Members of the District’s newly formed Technology Committee were on hand to answer questions about how Dobbs Ferry will accomplish its stated objective of becoming a county-wide leader in its use of technological resources in classroom instruction and district-wide communication. The Foundation, which has traditionally provided seed money for new technological classroom resources, will provide financial support to the District as the long-term technology plan unfolds.

For community residents who wanted to learn more about the upcoming construction completion bond, the Dobbs Ferry School Board was present to answer questions and display revised plans for the schools. Across the room, members of the Village Library Board displayed drawings of the new library – and even fabric swatches for its furnishings – for which construction is planned to begin in 2001.

In sum, the meeting provided a wealth of information for education-minded Dobbs Ferry residents. "This was a great opportunity to learn about what the Foundation does – and about the variety of programs that distinguishes Dobbs Ferry from other public school districts," said Kathy Gevlin, co-president of the Foundation. "We are glad we were able to bring people together to celebrate the really great accomplishments of this organization and our schools."

Started in 1994, the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation has raised more than $2.7 million through individual contributions and educational grants. Working in cooperation with the administration and faculty from each of the three schools; Springhurst, the Middle School and the High School, the Board of Education, and the PTSA the Foundation gives financial support to creative educational programs that can not initially be funded by the school budget.