A message from the President

Dear San Dieguito Academy Families,

It is with great pleasure that I take on the position of president of the San Dieguito Academy Foundation (SDAF). I look forward to an exciting year during which we continue to expand the Foundation’s 14-year-tradition of enhancing SDA’s unique culture and quality programs by raising funds and promoting active parental and community involvement.

The Foundation is a nonprofit, parent volunteer organization dedicated to funding the school’s basic educational programs and supporting the priority needs that benefit all students (as identified by SDA’s principal and staff).

It also serves as the umbrella organization over all parent groups at SDA and coordinates the volunteer and fundraising activities of its member councils: Academic, Athletic, Music, Theatre, Student Support Services and Grad Nite.

I know you share my pride in the recognition our school garnered this year. It became a California Distinguished School and is one of only four California schools to also receive an additional award for its Exemplary Career Technical Education Program. And, Newsweek Magazine ranked SDA 180 on its annual list of America’s Best High Schools. That puts us in the top 20 percent of the schools surveyed.

These outstanding achievements are due to the hard work of a dedicated team of educators, an amazing student body, and unwavering parental support.

The money we raised during the 2010-11 school year is already having a tremendous impact on our children: Thanks to the generosity of SDA families, we helped fund the completion of our new Performing Arts Center, a new Bio-Tech Lab, the Writing Lab and Math Tutoring Center, the Robotic class, the College and Career Center, scholarships for many deserving seniors, and technology training for staff.

This year, we will continue to support these programs and others, including the new Business Ownership & Management class beginning this fall.

As you know, the State of California continues to cut back on educational funding, thus forcing school districts to decrease the allotment for each school. As a result, educational foundations like SDAF are filling the gap between limited public funds and the dollars needed to support educational goals. In recent years, this gap has consistently expanded.

We owe it to our children to close the gap and make sure they continue to benefit from the school’s rigorous academic and extra-curricular programs.

Our financial goal for the 2011-2012 academic year is to raise $150,000 to bridge the gap between public funding and SDA’s needs. With approximately 1,500 families, an annual contribution of $100 per family will achieve this financial goal. That’s about $8 per month, per family! This contribution may be made as a one-time donation or as a pledge spread over the next 12 months.

I know that many of you will also be asked to support specific activities that your children are involved in, be they athletics, music, theater or speech and debate. I also know that each of us is rethinking how to spend our hard-earned dollars. I do hope you will allocate a portion of your charitable contributions to SDAF’s general fund through this Annual Appeal. Keep in mind that the Foundation’s efforts benefit ALL students and enable SDA to maintain its overall high standards of excellence.

Thank you in advance for your support. I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming year.

Sincerely,

Don Cardenas
President, San Dieguito Academy Foundation

P.S. Please take a moment to fill out the following forms: