Current News
05/14/10
Safe and Sober Prom Night Awards $10,000
On May 13, Safe and Sober Prom Night founder, Kurt Larson and the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools held the 6th annual Safe and Sober Prom Night Awards Assembly to recognize students and schools which committed to staying drug and alcohol free on prom night. Five student where awarded $1,000 each and each high school was awarded money for its project graduation.
Larson, a local attorney, founded Safe and Sober Prom Night six years ago because of his commitment to keeping kids safe during one of the most dangerous times of the year, from prom season to graduation. The program encourages students to stay drug and alcohol free on prom night. Kurt travels to schools in Springfield and across the Ozarks presenting information on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, asking each student to participate in the program by signing a pledge card that is also signed by the student’s parents.
This year 80 percent of students in Springfield Public Schools took the pledge. Of the schools in Springfield, Glendale High School had 90 percent of its students taking the pledge and was rewarded with $2,040 for its project graduation. Hillcrest High School came in second with 81 percent participation receiving $810; Kickapoo High School in third with 76 percent participation receiving $760 for project graduation; Parkview High School in third at 72 percent participation and $720 followed by Central High School with 67 percent participation receiving $670 for project graduation. Students who take the pledge are also entered to win a cash prize of $1,000. Student winners at each school are:
- Spencer Melgren, Central High School
- Zach Reeves, Glendale High School
- Trent Lawson, Hillcrest High School
- Nick Day, Kickapoo High School
- Devrae Mickelson, Parkview High School
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools manages the Safe and Sober Prom Night fund to support Springfield Public Schools. The Foundation’s vision is to promote educational excellence for every child by working with the public school system and the community. The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools raises, manages and distributes funds to benefit the students of Springfield Public Schools. For more information about Safe and Sober Prom Night or the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools visit www.foundation4sps.org.
05/10/10
Date Set for Safe and Sober Prom Night Awards Ceremony
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools will hold its 6th Annual Safe and Sober Prom Night Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 13 at 4pm in the Assembly Room at the KRAFT Administration Building at 940 N. Jefferson Ave. Local attorney and Safe and Sober Prom Night founder, Kurt Larson will award $10,000 to Springfield Public High schools and students for their commitment to remain drug and alcohol free on prom night.
Safe and Sober Prom Night is a program underwritten by Kurt and Sally Larson of Larson Law Firm, in association with the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools. Over the last month, Kurt gave presentations at 20 local and regional high schools where he spoke to nearly 8000 students about the legal and personal consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. Each student was given an opportunity to sign a pledge card, pledging to remain drug and alcohol free. Parents of students were notified of the program by letter and given tips for their part in keeping prom night safe and sober. As incentive for students, schools and their students were offered cash prizes, free t-shirts or wristbands, and bumper stickers. This program has raised and given away more than $ 180,000 to our students and schools since its inception. Over the course of 6 years, Kurt has spoken to 31,500 students in 86 assemblies.
The mission of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools is to raise, manage and distribute private investment to benefit the students of Springfield Public Schools. Our vision is to promote educational excellence for every child by working with the public school system and the community. To learn more about Safe and Sober Prom Night visit www.SafeAndSoberMo.com or other Foundation programs please visit www.foundation4sps.org.
03/31/10
Foundation for Springfield Public Schools Gives $10,000 in Reading Awards
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools has awarded $10,000 to five teachers in the district through the Turner Reading Awards for Excellence in Teaching Reading. The awards were delivered on Monday and Tuesday to five teachers.
- Sandra Baron, Jeffries
- Kathy Coleman, Jeffries
- Barbara Mooneyham, Greene County Youth Acadamy
- Becci Taylor, PALS
- Marlene Williams, Jeffries
Each award includes a $2,000 cash prize split between the teachers and the reading programs at their schools. The Turner Awards were established by the Turner family of Springfield nine years ago to recognize five teachers a year for their efforts in teaching literacy.
Executive Director of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Nancy Fazzino said, “Community support for the programs that assist SPS children is vital. We are proud to have a partner like the Turner family. Reading is a vital ingredient to the success of the students in and out of the classroom. The Turner family invests in Springfield in many ways and we are grateful to have their support.”
Barbara Mooneyham is a third year winner of this award and is a Springfield Public Schools Title 1 specialist at Juvenile Detention and Greene County Youth Academy. “We are blessed to have people in our community like the Turner family who make such sincere efforts to promote the advancement of literacy for our students. We are planning to use the award to offer an after school hands-on interactive literacy program. This will take our reading program to the next level,” said Mooneyham.
03-24-10
Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and Local Law Firm Strive to Keep Students Safe on Prom Night
The 6th-annual Safe and Sober Prom Night kicks off April 1, 2010. The program is a partnership of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, and Kurt Larson of Larson Law Firm, as well as many area businesses and organizations who support the program. This year, 20 area high schools and more than 7,500 students are participating in the program, representing 200% growth in participation since its inaugural year.
Safe and Sober Prom Night is designed to keep our students and others from being injured or killed on prom night by raising awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Kurt Larson has spent 18 years representing area families devastated by irresponsible drivers. To kick-off this program, Kurt gives presentations at each of the high schools, offering our young adults a glimpse of the criminal, civil, and practical consequences the decision to use drugs and alcohol can have on their future. The timing is perfect for this message, as our soon-to-be graduates are stepping into adulthood and beginning to make real investments in their future.
Larson encourages our students to take a pledge - a written commitment to their parents - to stay drug and alcohol free on prom night. Parents receive a letter explaining the program, giving them tips for prom night safety and are encouraged to support their student in the decision to stay sober. It is then up to the students to pressure each other to take and keep that commitment. Students are given incentives to keep their commitment, including a chance to win cash. Students are also provided with pledge cards, wristbands, t-shirts, and/or window stickers to outwardly show their commitment to remain free of alcohol and drugs. ALL THIS AT NO COST TO OUR SCHOOLS. By the end of this year’s program, more than $160,000 will have been raised and donated to our students and their schools through this innovative program.
This program has garnered the support of organizations throughout the community. The following either endorse or support the program financially: MoDOT, Regional Coalition for Roadway Safety, O’Reilly Automotive, Wal-Mart, Liberty Bank, Mattax-Neu-Prater Eye Center, St. John’s Health Systems, Drury University, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, Springfield Neurological & Spine Institute, Great Southern Bank, Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Ozark Mountain Chapter MADD, Missouri Highway Patrol, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Greene County Prosecutor, Springfield Police Department, Ample Industries, 417 Magazine, Strong-Garner-Bauer Law Firm, David Ransin, P.C.Attorney-at-Law, Jim and Nancy Claxton, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, and Kurt and Sally Larson/Larson Law Firm.
12/15/09
CHASE CARD SERVICES DONATES $9,000
The JP Morgan Chase Foundation donated $9,000 to the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools this December to purchase technology at Ed. V. Williams Elementary School. The gift will purchase five interactive white boards known as SmartBoards, for the first, second, third and fifth grade classrooms.
Chase Card Services is a Partner in Education to Williams, a Title I school in Springfield Public Schools. Williams Elementary principal, Jennifer Webb said, “The addition of five SmartBoards will dramatically increase the levels of student engagement and interaction levels in our classrooms which will in turn improve student achievement levels in mathematics, communication arts and content areas.”
Williams Elementary was recently on the receiving end of several other Foundation grants during the Foundation’s 2009 Back to School grant cycle, including three high impact grants which also included several other schools and programs.
11/20/09
BANK OF AMERICA SUPPORTS FOUNDATION’S BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
Thursday, November 19, Bank of America presented the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools with a $1,500 donation to support the Back to School grant program. Bank of America is a longtime supporter of the program which celebrated its ninth year in 2009.
The Back to School program awards grants to teachers and principals in Springfield Public Schools in a variety of categories including high impact and technology. In 2009 the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools awarded over $150,000 in grants to schools across the district.
The mission of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools is to raise, manage and distribute private investment to benefit the students of Springfield Public Schools. The Foundation will celebrate 20 years of service in 2010. For more information about the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools visit www.foundation4sps.org or call 417-523-0144.
08/12/09
Foundation for Springfield Public Schools Receives Gift from Panera Bread
On Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Mindy Spitz, Community Relations Manager with Panera Bread presented the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools with $725.98 from Panera Bread’s Community Breadbox™ campaign, part of the companies Operation Dough-Nation program. Community Breadbox™ raises money with donation jars at all five Panera Bread locations in Springfield, receiving donations from Panera customers. This funding will be used by the Foundation to meet on-going needs of the students and teachers of Springfield Public Schools.
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools began its partnership with Panera Bread one year ago with a school supply drive. Panera Bread completed its third school supply drive for the Foundation last week. School supplies donated through the Panera Bread School Supply Drive will be given to students in need attending Springfield Public Schools.
The mission of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools is to raise, manage and distribute private investment to benefit the students of Springfield Public Schools. For more information on the Foundation visit www.foundation4sps.org or call 417-523-0144.
08/12/09
Foundation Installs 2009-2010 Officers at Annual Meeting
Springfield, MO – The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools installed new officers of the 2009-2010 board of directors on Wednesday morning at its annual meeting held at David Harrison Elementary School. The Foundation’s new officers include:
- Allen Kunkel, President
- Michael Replogle, President-Elect
- Beau Barrett, Treasurer
- Sandy Howard, Secretary
- Kim Sullivan, Past-President
Longtime Foundation supporter, David Harrison spoke at the annual meeting where the Foundation also recognized three new funds set up this year, the Central High School Band Fund, Central High School Debate Fund and the Young Librarian Scholarship. The Foundation welcomed two new members to the board of directors, David Ross and Debbie Shantz as it said goodbye to retiring board member Stephanie Montgomery.
The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools is comprised of a 21-person board of directors and raises funds to support Springfield Public Schools. The vision of the Foundation is to promote educational excellence for every child by working with the public school system and the community.
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