Dear Summit Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back toschool! As we kick off the 2023-2024 academic year,the Summit Educational Foundation (SEF) pledges our unwavering commitment to support public schools as safe, welcoming, diverse, and inclusive places to learn.
Creating Possible
The mission of the Summit Educational Foundation istomaintain and enhance the high quality of a Summit, New Jersey public school education and ensure that all students receive the best education possible by encouraging creativity and innovation. We achieve this through generous community donations, a close working relationship with the school district, and careful review, evaluation and financial oversight of supported initiatives.
In the past year, SEF has significantly contributed to the educational experience of all Summit students at the middle school and high school with many exciting and innovative grants. A full list of approved grants is available at www.sefnj.org.
LCJSMS/SHS Grants Highlights:
• Vex IQ Robotics Kit Upgrades and Science Olympiad Program at LCJSMS
• Art Curriculum expansion to include new equipment and materials for the Ceramics Studio, Screen Printing and Filmmaking/Film Studies classes
• The Social Institute (TSI) pilot at LCJSMS
• Peer Leadership program at both LCJSMS and SHS
• Professional Development Funding for College Counseling Team at SHS
• Formative Subscription for all students and teachers in grades 6-12; an innovative web-based tool used to create data rich learning experiences and assessments while providing feedback in real-time to each student
SEF District Highlights include:
• 37 Years of Partnering with Summit Public Schools
• 4,000 Students Positively Impacted Every Year
• $10.6M in Science, Literacy, Math, Technology and Arts Education Grants
• 437 Grants Approved in the Past 5 Years
• $876K for the SEF Innovation Labs in all 5 Elementary Schools for the 2022-2023 School Year
Get Involved
SEF funds initiatives to help ensure academic excellence in the Summit Public Schools. Our Board is composed of parents, teachers, and community members – people committed to providing the best public-school education possible for our children. Each year, more than 100 volunteers give their time and talent to help advance our mission and about 600 families make financial contributions. To get involved as a volunteer, please contact your school’s SEF Representatives or one of our Board members.
Every Financial Contribution Makes a Difference!
There are thousands of reasons to give! Your donation to the Summit Educational Foundation will directly support grants that provide a wide variety of learning experiences and opportunities that prepare our students for educational and occupationalsuccess. Simply put,school budgets are tight, and SEF enablesteachers and administratorsto domore. As Superintendent Hough said, “SEF helpsto make the district whole”. We are grateful to all families who support SEF – no matter the amount, your donation is critical. You can submit the attached envelope to your school, mail directly to us, or donate online at tinyurl.com/donatetoSEF.
We wish your family all the best for a successful and enriching school year.
Sincerely,
Melissa Madden, Co-President Co-President
Heather Thomas, Co-President Co-President
P.O. Box 268 • Summit, New Jersey 07902-0268 • www.sefnj.org
SEF is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation.Donations are fully tax-deductible and qualify for corporate matching gifts programs. SEF is a United Way designee