These two beloved community events return this spring! Follow the Gloucester Education Foundation‘s website, Facebook, and Instagram for updates on activities, schedules, locations, and more.
(And if you need a reminder about how wonderful these events are, check out this video and this one!)
The Gloucester Education Foundation is looking forward to this elementary band concert on Monday! We are proud to fund band for grades 4-8 to the tune (see what we did there?) of $98,100 this year, and have already begun to secure funding for next year’s programming. Look for an article in the Gloucester Daily Times next week about the generosity of our community – especially the JMR Barker Foundation and the Byrnes family – in its support for our schools and the arts.
Last night Pathways for Children, Gloucester Public Schools, Gloucester Education Foundation, and an incredible team of partners welcomed the Class of 2036 to the Gloucester Public Schools! Countdown to Kindergarten is Gloucester’s annual community celebration to welcome our newest students and their families to the Gloucester Schools. 132 new kindergarteners and more than 250 of their family members had a chance to:
Thank you to all of the partners, sponsors, and volunteers who made this event possible, to the school staff who took a break from their summer vacation to meet their new students, to Gloucester High School for stepping in to host the event this year, to the many elected officials who attended, and most of all, to the kindergarteners who were brave enough to come to this big, noisy space to launch their careers as Gloucester students! We’re so excited to watch you grow, learn, and thrive in our schools, and GEF is proud to support you on your K-12 journey.
A special thanks to Amy Larsen from Pathways for Children and Christine Castle from the Gloucester Schools for their leadership on this event.
“With so many remarkable GEF powered opportunities returning to our schools this year, it has been wonderful for our community to once again experience the full impact of GEF’s support.”
~Superintendent Ben Lummis
With the 2022-23 school year wrapping up tomorrow, the Gloucester Education Foundation (GEF) has released their FY23 Impact Report. Built around the theme of “Discover, Connect, Belong”, this year’s report is full of images, stats, and stories from current GPS students and alumni; teachers and administrators; GEF supporters and champions. This was a big year for GEF, with the return of The Power of Play and Gloucester Student Arts Festival, continued growth in arts, STEM and vocational investments, and the integration of their new Student Advisory Committee. See below for lots of images from this school year and the incredible array of learning opportunities supported by GEF.
And don’t miss the remarkable (and long!) list of donors, volunteers, and in-kind gifts at the end of the report that made this work possible – GEF is so thankful for the Gloucester community’s support for our schools, educators, and students. Look for your friends’ and neighbors’ names, and join them by donating to GEF’s spring campaign!
When: Sunday, March 26, 2023 11am-2pm
Where: Gloucester High School Field House
32 Leslie O. Johnson Road, Gloucester
Who: Gloucester families, friends and children of all ages.
Suggested donation $5/family at the door; no family will be turned away for lack of funds.
What: A day of hands-on, low-tech play for all ages, hosted by Gloucester Education Foundation and run by a powerhouse team of community and student volunteers!
The Power of Play centers around fun family activities, and is designed to be welcoming to a broad spectrum of ages, ability levels, and learning styles. This year’s event will also feature some special activities from regions around the world that are present in our Gloucester community.
It would take us all day to name all of the awesome activities at Power of Play, but here are a few: collaborative art projects, fort-building, oobleck-making, sand play, capoeira, an invisible ink scavenger hunt, games from around the world, an infant/toddler exploration zone, and LOTS more.
The Power of Play is hosted by Gloucester Education Foundation and sponsored by Cape Ann Savings Bank, Sawyer Free Library, and Seashore Comfort Solutions.
Contact: Emily Siegel, emily@thinkthebest.org or 978-282-5550
Gloucester Education Foundation drives innovation, inspires creativity, expands student opportunities, and empowers educators to strengthen teaching and learning in the Gloucester Public Schools. Learn more at www.thinkthebest.org
The GEF 2022 Summer Campaign is underway!
Our goal is to raise $60,000 this summer. With your support, GEF will catalyze new programs, sustain successful projects, and support students and teachers with creative ideas to make Gloucester Public Schools better and brighter!
Wondering what we’ve been up over the last school year?
Our FY22 Impact Report is out now!
Gloucester Students had a busy year! Check out highlights from live theater, elementary and middle school band, O’Maley Academy, GHS STEM and Vocational Programs… and so much more!
In case you missed it:
A Gloucester Public School and GEF-funded program was in the news!
On June 27, WGBH featured a story on climate change and how it is taught in Massachusetts public schools. Gloucester High’s AP Environmental Science class was prominently featured, including an interview with GHS teacher Amanda Pastel and students Cammi Cooper and Eliana Faria. GEF was proud to fund new labs for this class in 2022!
None of this would be possible without the generosity of our donors and their unwavering commitment to Gloucester students!
The Whoo(pie) Wagon is making the rounds to the Gloucester Public Schools this week for Teacher Appreciation Week!
On behalf of The Gloucester Education Foundation, the Gloucester PTOs, and community:
“THANK YOU teachers and staff!”
Cape Ann Community 