TSS & TFS DonorsChoose Projects

Profesora Sheilla’s classroom is trying to raise money through DonorChoose to buy a projector. This projector will help to access more resources in Spanish. It will allow us to share documents, pictures, videos with the whole class. Please help us achieve our goal! http://www.donorschoose.org/project/projector-for-kindergarten/750203/

Mme. Roman is trying to raise money through DonorsChoose to buy glockenspiels, xylophones and metallophones for TFS music classes. Please help the TFS music program here: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/operation-glockenspiel/780061/?verify=-2031555066

Thank you for helping our Schools!

ALIVE Mag’s Sips in the City benefits SLLIS this July

ALIVE Magazine’s Sips in the City is a monthly happy hour at Culinaria Wine Bar (315 North 9th Street downtown) that benefits a different St. Louis non-profit organization each month. On July 27, 2012 Sips in the City benefits SLLIS!

The event is from 5 – 7 pm and there is a suggested donation of $5. With this donation guests receive two complimentary drinks (1 premium Belgian beer and 1 glass of featured wine).

SLLIS will receive 100% of the donations from the event!

RSVP at SipsintheCity@alivemag.com. You must be 21 years or older to attend.

See you there!

For more information, check out the Sips in the City Flier.

Cinco de Mayo at SLLIS

SLLIS will be a part of the Cinco de Mayo parade on Cherokee Street, and you can be too! Our booth opens at 11 am at Oregon and Cherokee. The parade will start at 1:11pm. If you’d like to participate in the parade, please come to the corner of Minnesota and Cherokee at least 30 minutes before the parade begins with your bike and a traditional Hispanic costume or a white shirt and blue jeans.

Contact TSS Health Teacher Verónica Cruz (veronica@sllis.org) with questions.

Then join us this evening for the TSS Salsa Party. Tickets will be $25 at the door and everyone is welcome!

There will be a live band, Clave Sol, a local Latin & Fusion Jazz Band starting at 8 pm, salsa lessons so you can dance the night away latino style, authentic Mexican cuisine from 7:30 – 9:30 pm, an open bar thanks to Anheuser Busch-InBev, a raffle for a Mexican party-in-the-box and much more!

This special night begins at 7 pm and will run until midnight. Childcare will not be provided, so you must be 18 or older to attend and 21 or older to drink.

¡Feliz Fiesta!

Schlafly Bottleworks Brunch on Sunday 4/22

Head over to Schlafly Bottleworks between 11 am and 2 pm for brunch this Sunday, April 22nd. 10% of all brunch proceeds will be donated to SLLIS. If you go, send us some photos of you and your family enjoying some brunch while supporting SLLIS!

Cinco de Mayo and the TSS Salsa Party

¡Olé! SLLIS will be cha-cha-cha-ing all day on Cinco de Mayo, May 5th!

First, we will be hosting a booth at the Cherokee Street parade. If you are willing to help with set-up and decorations from 10 am – 2 pm, please contact Veronica at veronica@sllis.org.

Then, after the parade festivities, head on over to SLLIS for the Spanish School’s Salsa Party fundraiser from 7 pm – midnight. Space is limited, so get your tickets asap!

Download the Salsa Party Registration Form here. OR You can pay online by clicking here.

Check out the event flyer here.

Remember, you must be 18 to enter and 21 to drink. Childcare will not be provided.

Please direct all inquiries to tsssalsa2012@yahoo.com or call John Seitz at 314-814-0189.

¡Hasta entonces!

Eat Pizza, Support TFS

This Thursday April 19th, The Pi Truck will donate 50% of sales made that day to TFS. The truck will be parked at Stereotaxis (4320 Forest Park Avenue), arriving around 11 am.

You can stop by for a bite to eat before the TFS Family Reading Night. Please support the French School this Thursday by eating Pi pizza on-the-go!

The Spanish School Salsa Party Fundraiser – May 5th

Hola parents and friends of SLLIS,

You may be hearing the buzz around the hallways of school. It true! The Spanish School Salsa Party fundraiser is coming! We have been planning for months and we have quite an evening of entertainment, food and drink planned for all of you and your friends and family.

The evening will start at 7pm and feature the local Latin & Fusion Jazz Band, Clave Sol from 8-12. There will also be:

·         Salsa lesson

·         DJ

·         Authentic Mexican cuisine (from 7:30 – 9:30)

·         Open beer bar (courtesy of Anheuser-Busch InBev)

·         Homemade margaritas

·         Raffle for a Mexican party-in-a-box

Admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. This includes entry, open beer bar, sodas and water. All profits will go to the Spanish School of SLLIS.

Space is limited, so purchase your tickets today.

The celebration will be held at SLLIS (4011 Papin St.) on Saturday, May 5^th (Cinco de Mayo) from 7pm – Midnight.

Download the Salsa Party Registration Form here.

Please fill out this form and return it with your payment to SLLIS at 4011 Papin St. no later than May 1st. Make checks payable to SLLIS.

Please direct all inquiries to tsssalsa2012@yahoo.com or call John Seitz at 314-814-0189.

Join us for a night of dancing, drinking, eating and socializing. And remember to tell all your friends and family about it.

Thank you,

The Salsa Party Committee

2012 Development Update

Thanks to the 50+ donors who contributed to our holiday appeal!!!  The SLLIS community raised over $11,000 in November and December.  I am happy to report that the matching gift challenge to the parent community was met twice over!  The majority of the funds given were unrestricted and will be used where most needed.  A portion of the funds donated was restricted and will be used to support after school programs, facility improvements, the library, and our greenspace.

If you missed the 12/31 deadline, please remember that you can give your 2012 tax deductible gift anytime in the current calendar year.  Don’t forget websites like goodsearch.com that make a donation to SLLIS with each earmarked purchase or tools like the eScrip (www.escrip.com) card that donate a portion of what you spent when used at Schnucks and a variety of restaurants!

Last week, a group of parents and staff came together to discuss the components of PA fundraising and next steps as the fundraising taskforce transitions to the SACs.  The outcome of this meeting shows continued excitement and energy around parent fundraising as well as a space in SLLIS’ larger fundraising strategy for parent involvement.  The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 1^st at 4pm in the Parents’ Lounge.

We are in the process of scheduling our first Institutional Advancement Committee meeting.  The IAC is a subcommittee of the board and will focus on such fundraising tasks as major and planned gifts, gala level events, capital campaigns and endowments.  If you are interested in learning more about the IAC, please email Rachel.dsouza-siebert@sllis.org for more information.

Have a great week!

A letter from Rachel about donation allocation

So… Where does the money go?

This question has come up in more than one conversation I’ve had over the last few weeks.  As The French School and The Spanish School continue to grow and as SLLIS plans for the future, charitable contributions will become increasingly important.  Donors retain the right to instruct how their gift is used.  Many donors make an unrestricted gift, and these gifts are typically used where they are needed most – for example, an unrestricted gift could be used to maintain our required fund balance, make capital improvements and support our Social Equity Campaign.   Some donors choose to be more specific about where their gift is used – in this case (and these are just examples), a donor could specify that their gift be used to endow a teaching position, purchase supplies, enhance a music program or support a particular grade/classroom/school.   As a donor, you always retain the right to know how your gift was used and what impact was made.

If you have not yet given, I encourage you to consider a tax-deductible gift to SLLIS.  An anonymous donor has offered to match parent donations between now and the end of the year, up to $1000.  If you have any questions or would like to learn more about SLLIS & charitable giving, please do not hesitate to contact me!

In January, I will share the results of our appeal and the next steps necessary to create a strong, multi-channel giving program for SLLIS.  In the coming months, I will be working with members of our board, staff, and parent volunteers to launch a variety of planned initiatives to ensure SLLIS’ long-term success.  I look forward to working with you and creating a stable foundation for SLLIS’ growth.

Wishing you the best,

Rachel D’Souza-Siebert

Director of Development

Ways to Give

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and here we are – in the thick of the holiday season, waiting for our first snow fall.

As you may know, the holiday season is also a popular time for charitable giving.  Below, you’ll find a variety of ways to support SLLIS in the months and years to come.

• Annual Appeal: Giving in response to the letter you received. Donors can provide a “restricted” or an “unrestricted” gift to SLLIS.  Unrestricted gifts will be used where there’s the most need.  Restricted gifts will be used as the donors instruct.

• Matching Gifts: Your place of employment, affinity organization, or credit card company may match your gift to SLLIS, up to a certain amount each year.  Some employers will even double or triple your gift during targeted campaigns  For help locating the necessary, documents, please email Rachel.dsouza-siebert@sllis.org.

• Gifts In Kind: Our students always benefit from contributions of classroom supplies, art materials, books and other material goods that enhance the school day experience.  These types of charitable gifts are tax deductible as well!  When donating an in-kind gift, please make sure to fill out the In-Kind Donation Form.

• Host a Friendraiser: Everyone loves a party!  Volunteer to host a friendraiser – it can be a themed gathering or just an evening happy hour with close friends.  SLLIS can give a small presentation at your event and follow up with your guests for a continued relationship and/or monetary contribution.

• Corporate Giving: Does your place of employment have a foundation?  Put SLLIS in contact with the foundation officer or community outreach staff and we’ll take it from there!

For questions, don’t hesitate to contact Rachel, our Director of Development, at 314-633-8318 ext. 871 or Rachel.dsouza-siebert@sllis.org.

Happy Holidays!  Stay warm this week!