We have been growing our AP program for many years, encouraging students to challenge themselves academically and completing their course of study by taking the AP exam in their subjects. Historically, the exam fee was generously subsidized by the state and district for our free and reduced lunch status students. This year (and we fear subsequent years) was less generously funded and even the reduced fee of $28.00 will be too much for our students, many of whom take multiple exams. We are looking for funding to defray some of this cost. We will need the money by the first week of May, 2013. 

The Agua Fria Elementary School Garden Program evolved in collaboration with Santa Fe Community Farm one year ago. We currently have active participation and integration in the curriculum of 2nd, 3rd and 6th grade classes with about 100 students. The goal of this garden is to provide a venue in which students may engage as stewards helping to restore habitat, build soil, mitigate climate change impacts and adopt healthy nutrition lifestyles. In excitement for educational opportunities around water-wise agricultural principles and innovative food production systems, we are installing rainwater catchment and drip irrigation and developing our first greenhouse to shelter more growing space, aquaponics and spirulina operations. 

We would like a mini-computer lab for the AVID Classroom, which can be utilized not only by my students, but by students in all 4 levels of AVID at Capital High. A mobile laptop lab with wireless internet access, comprised of 10 or more laptops, would give these students a chance to access the wide range of data available to support them in reaching their college goals.. I teach the AVID Elective at Capital High School. AVID's mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. 

The AVID program's mission to close the achievement gap is being pursued at Capital High School. We spend a great deal of time in collaboration, and would benefit from being able to use our floor for group activities. A room-sized rug would make this a much more comfortable place to have class!

It has been said that the family that eats together stays together. Sweeney is a family oriented school that needs your help to make this happen. C.W.K.'s "Family Night" is designed to bring a select group of families after school to learn how to cook healthy, inexpensive, delicious meals. The idea is to provide families with enthusiasm and motivation to cook together while teaching practical skills to shop for healthful foods, prepare recipes, and make meal time quality time. 
Everyone knows that parental involvement is key to success. The most effective forms of parental involvement are those which engage parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home and in school. "Family Night" provides a great opportunity for positive one on one involvement. School initiated activities like this help parents change their home environment and can have a strong influence on a child's attitude and choices that they make in life. 
Unfortunately due to construction setbacks and issues at Sweeney our Cooking with Kids program this year has been temporarily canceled. We miss it dearly. However C.W.K. has offered to organize two "Family Nights" this school year.  

It should be fun and festive. Please support your community by donating to this event. Help us learn to cook and share with one another. Thank you for your time, consideration, and donation.

Students will examine the different manners of acquiring and consuming goods during Colonial New Mexico and current times. Students will produce a narrative writing piece comparing and contrasting the differences in acquisition and consumption of goods. Students will make crafts as a hands-on supplemental project to this assignment. 

The Gates Foundation's curriculum maps for the Common Core recommend that all high school juniors read William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. I heartily agree, and I would like to use it as a capstone book for next year's junior classes. It's a difficult book, but not an overwhelming one, and its strong characters and accessible plot make it appealing for high schoolers. Most importantly, I believe that reading As I Lay Dying will give our students a great burst of confidence going into their senior years. Unfortunately, our school does not have a class set of As I Lay Dying. I'm requesting funding for 32 copies at $12 each, which is the price listed by Follett, our primary supplier of novels. 

Thank you for considering these projects. As you know, teacher's imaginations can be limited by lack of funds. You're doing a wonderful thing.

My regular 8th grade (not Honors) will read The Outsiders, by Sue Hilton. This is a book these students will connect with, and is one in which I will be able to effectively teach Literary Elements. We will analyze the characters, identify rhetorical devices and their effectiveness, study cause and effect. deconstruct the plot, and watch the movie. As a culminating activity, we will hold a mock trial for Johnny and Ponyboy, who stabbed and killed the Soc. We will assign the Prosecution, Defense, Judge, Jury, and Witnesses. Each student will be required to write a one page paper according to their role in the trial. Other activities that include multi-intelligences will be assigned throughout the reading of the book. This class much prefers that I read aloud; we discuss all of the aforementioned elements as we read. I have 12 books and need 18 more. Thank you so much for your consideration.