Robert Gray Middle School

March 10, 2012

    February 21st starts four weeks of celebration and support for Robert Gray’s foreign language program and I.T. Look for posters, emails, buttons, and videos, and join us Saturday, March 10, for the highlight of the month, “A Night Out for Oui & Sí + I.T.”, an evening to contribute to our school and have fun mingling with parents and teachers. Our goal is to raise $26,000. We’re off to a great start, with almost $7,000 in donations so far. We need support from community members to be successful. For example, through donations of $67 per school family, we can reach our target!

“A Night Out” is a social event for parents, teachers, and community members to mingle and support Instructional Technology and foreign language at Robert Gray. The evening will include a buffet of delicious appetizers, wine, beer, exciting items for auction, and music entertainment.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
6:30 PM
At the home of Fred Miller & Karla Wenzel
3131 SW Fairmont Blvd

RSVP to rgms.schoolauction.net/nightout/register 
Please respond to invitations so that party organizers can plan food and beverages. Respond by March 1st and you will be entered into a raffle for a gift certificate to a fabulous restaurant!

Help! Please volunteer to help with preparations during and after the event. One or two hours of an individual’s donated time can make a big difference in the workload for all involved. We want helpers to have fun too! Please contact Patti BuserHill at hillandbuser@comcast.net.

Donate and Register online: https://allhandsraised.schoolauction.net/give/give

Attend “A Night Out”, where you can:
    1. Place a check in a collection box 
    2. Bid on auction items 
    3. Purchase from our Wall of Wine

Write a check to RGMS Oui & Sí + I.T. and deliver or send to RGMS, 5505 SW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97239

Your donations to the Oui & Sí + I.T. Fund Drive are tax-deductible.

    It has been nine months since one of Robert Gray’s most successful and popular programs, foreign language, faced cuts due to scheduling and reduced funding. But the school community recognized the program’s value and donated funds to keep it intact, and the results justify those efforts. This school year, over two thirds of 7th and 8th grade students are enrolled in French and Spanish classes, and the program that continues to thrive under the talents and enthusiasm of our long-standing and loved teacher, Ms. Agar Rojas, is now enhanced by new teacher Ms. Katie Gunderson’s eagerness and expertise in French.

There are many benefits to supporting “Oui & Sí”:
1. A reduction of student numbers in other classes.
2. Spanish and French classes are some of Robert Gray students’ favorites!
3. Students earn high school credit and satisfy a year of the graduation requirement.
4. These fun, but challenging classes build linguistic and communication skills, expose students to other cultures and geography, and keep advanced French and Spanish classes at Wilson High School viable.
5. The RGMS Foundation, at the helm of this fundraising effort, supports schools with greater economic challenges by donating a portion of its earnings to the Portland Public Schools Equity Fund. Every year, grants through the Equity Fund help improve educational standards and opportunities for students throughout the city.

    Have you noticed Robert Gray’s new lab of 29 computers? This lab is the launching point for Robert Gray’s three-year mission, “Make I.T. Happen at RGMS”, to offer technologically advanced education to all of its students. Through private and federal grants, state of the art hardware and software will be phased into our school and underperforming equipment will gradually be scuttled. But “making it happen” and keeping existing equipment up and running is dependent upon skilled support. That's where we come in! 
    Over 150 computers and electronic devices in our building must be maintained by our part-time technology assistant, but Robert Gray staffing funds can only provide ten hours per week for the task. Without at least 19 hours per week of technical assistance, school operations can slow down or come to a standstill. I.T. is used for administration, testing, teaching, resource management, research, and class work, affecting literally every student and faculty member. Extra funding for this staffing position is essential.

    Every donation, in any denomination, is important to this effort, because the collective support by individuals is what brings us success. Contributions to foreign language and I.T. keep our school strong and effective, our students challenged and successful, our skilled teachers doing what they do best, and help raise the standards of education throughout the Portland community.