Buffalo Public Schools Foundation

President’s Message

Dear Community Members, There’s a famous quotation that says, You make a living by what you earn, but you make a life by what you give. I’m proud to report that the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation helped improve the quality of education in Buffalo by giving more than $250,000 to our schools in 2011 and more than $1.5 million over the last 5 years. We thank you for your support in this endeavor. Our mission is to ensure that all students in the district have access to excellent academic, arts and athletic programs and facilities and to provide scholarships as appropriate by raising and allocating community dollars for these purposes. I hope you will take the time to read about our accomplishments in this report and on our web site, www.buffaloschoolsfoundation.org. I hope you will conclude that we were faithful to our mission. And, I hope what you read will make you want to further support the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation. Thank you again for your interest in providing additional opportunities to local students, I look forward to continuing this work with you in 2012. Sincerely,

Daniel M. Boscarino President , Board of Directors

Foundation at Work:

Tom Fontana’s experience is not unique in relationship to recognizing the potential of the students of the Buffalo Public Schools. The Buffalo Public Schools Foundation members and contributors know that the potential of the students is strong, and therefore, have found ways to help them aim higher. The Foundation does this through enrichment programs and classroom enhancements that expose students to the arts and sciences as well as sports and recreation. The Buffalo Public Schools do not exist solely to hone a child’s known talents, but often times, through classroom involvement and afterschool activities, we help a child to discover and develop their particular gift. The Buffalo Public Schools Foundation helps us to do this in part with generous donations that launch programs, as well as teacher mini-grants that provide that extra unfunded classroom innovation that brings core curriculum learning into full focus. Whether a student is more prone to academics, the arts or sports, we find that developing skills in one area carries over to the others. Reaching a child at a summer soccer mini-camp can make him or her more receptive to mentoring in the classroom, and bring them to an understanding the teamwork that is necessary in all group settings. Music and math share basic skills, and visual art and writing are a perfect pairing of talents in the art of communication and comprehension.

"I had an opportunity, recently, to come to Buffalo and interact with some of the students and faculty at Lafayette, the high school which both of my parents attended. I see so much potential in these young people that I can also see Buffalo's future will shine." ~ Tom Fontana, Buffalo born writer and producer

School #6 teacher Lori Pasquarella asked for materials to create and use “story braids” a way of identifying elements within a story for comprehension and recall. We invited local media in to see Pasquarella demonstrate a story braid with her class, and all four local television stations came. Not only was the viewing public able to see the innovative teaching tool for themselves, but the school was happy for the positive attention to the extra measure they try to bring to their students each day.

The Buffalo Public Schools Foundation put out a call to teachers: Give us your good classroom ideas and we’ll give you a mini-grant. When the Foundation made mini-grants available in increments up to $150 to teachers looking to enhance class-room learning, they weren’t sure what sort of requests to expect, but the wishes fit perfectly with new core curricu-lum standards as designated by Race To the Top. Some teachers requested lab calculators, soil, plants and a trip to a greenhouse, for example. Others still, took flights of fancy within required learning: one kindergarten asked for materials to write, develop and costume a play about the 5 senses. Another teacher wanted to purchase special books and journals to foster greater reading and writing skills. The teacher applications poured in, and the Foundation awarded 46 grants for a total of $7,000. In this way, $150.00 from the Foundation went a long way toward driving lessons home for students.

“I want the public to see the good things going on in our school. Through team effort, we’re setting our students on a path to greater success.” In this way, the Foundation supports the needs of the entire school community ~Sharon Brown, Principal - School #6

Classroom Enhancement:

“The support of the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation goes far beyond anything I had ever expected. Proposals that were once intangible dreams developed into functional, purposeful programs through the foundations support. I was encouraged by the foundation to think out of the box, which gave me the freedom to come up with programs that I knew would benefit our students, but were, in the past, financially unattainable. The high school enrichment in the arts, “hearts” program, Art College Portfolio Preparation (summer program), and the Artists in Every Classroom program are just a few of the many proposals that were made possible through the foundation. They all directly impacted our arts-focused children. The results of these programs were tremendous and apparent in the smiles of our students, whose love for the arts and the importance of art throughout life were all validated.”

~Michele Agosto, Supervisor of Curriculum in Art, Buffalo Public Schools

Ryan James, a 6th-grader at City Honors and her sister and Taylor, a 9th grade student at Frederick Law Olmsted, have gained from participating in the summer and afterschool programs held at PS192 Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and funded by the BPS Foundation. Both girls participated in the BPS Summer Art Camp in 2009 and 2010. Ryan also participated in the 2011 BPS Summer Art Camp and 2009 and 2011 BPS Summer Dance Camp. Taylor participated in the 2011 heARTS Dance Program.

“The district has formed a unique partnership to provide local youth, particularly students attending Buffalo Public School, with special summer and after school enrichment programs. With the budget cuts our school district is continuously facing, students often forego physical fitness including daily recess and fine arts during the school day. Parents are left to filling this void with out of school activities in the private sector where cost is not always affordable. These programs provide an opportunity for a diverse population of students to come together with a common interest of having fun while exercising both body and mind This makes the BPS Foundation Indispensable to Buffalo City students and parents.”

~Monique Sullivan-James mother of Ryan and Taylor

Exposure to the Arts:

Building Support:

The Buffalo Public Schools became Section VI sanctioned in the 2010-2011 school year. Still, there was room for club sports, and through the help of the Foundation, the lacrosse mini-camp was made available to high school students.

“Last year we had a varsity team, and this year, lacrosse became popular enough to start a junior varsity team too. Imagine, we took this ancient sport that most of these kids had never heard of before, and now they can’t get enough of it. And not only did the Foundation revive lacrosse in the Buffalo Public Schools, but my players are being scouted for scholarships.” ~Coach Tony Truizilio

"The support I received while a student within the BPS system gave me the foundation I needed to continue on to receive a scholarship to college, and eventually on to win an Olympic Gold medal. I truly believe that the education, friendships and experiences the BPS cultivated in me gave me the drive, dedication and perseverance to reach any height I set my mind to. When you accomplish the lifelong goals at the age of 31 that you set when you were still in the 5th grade, you have to look at what gave you the ambitions to set such lofty goals at such a precocious age. The BPS set the foundation for my entire childhood that enabled me to dream big and believe that if I put in the effort, I could reach every goal I set for myself." ~Olympic Medalist Steve Messler, ‘96 City Honors Alumni

The word “support,” with its dual meaning as a funding source and a means of bolstering an individual, comes up over and over again when examining the formula to success as aided by the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation.

The Foundation tends to agree with Messler’s sentiments, understanding that exposing children to limitless possibilities for their futures when they are very young will often reward them with success. Because of this, the Foundation will continue to add extras to the Buffalo Public Schools whenever they can in order to enhance student and teacher lives and lifelong learning. Like Dr. Hain Ginott said, “Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression.”

Advancing Athletics:

Because

THEIR TOMORROW STARTS TODAY

Arts Music

Athletics Academics

Teacher Stipends ● Study Trip to China ● McKinley Mural Project ● “heARTS” Arts program ● Student Art Exhibition Fees ● Soccer Camp

Students Study Visit to China Thirteen high school students and 2 teacher chaperones attended a study trip to China with the Confucius Institute at the University at Buffalo. Objectives for this journey were to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Chinese culture, provide students enrolled in Mandarin Studies the opportunity to develop proficiency with the Chinese language . “Experience China” Summer Camp at City Honors This Chinese immersion day camp served 20 middle grade students and involved the participation of Chinese students from Luo Yang Foreign Middle School who visited the camp through Confucius Institute at the University at Buffalo. First Niagara Scholars In a partnership with First Niagara Bank the foundation has established a fund for an annual scholarship and mentorship program for a student graduating from Middle Early College or South Park High School. All-City Marching Band/Music Program The district’s band enrollment is nudging close to 2500 students (grades 5 through 12). There’s no longer money available to buy the instruments and equipment needed to keep the Buffalo School’s Music Program vibrant and progressive. Through this project the foundation has dedicated funds to purchase new instruments and equipment. M&T “heARTS” program (high school enrichment of the ARTS) In partnership with M&T Bank the foundation developed a city wide after-school arts program which works with community partners in developing visual arts, music, dance and theater enrichment opportunities for the students in the Buffalo Public Schools. Each arts discipline is offered as a separate program, located at 4 hubs within the city/district. Each program rotates at least once, in order to enable interested students an opportunity to participate in at least one program anywhere in the city.

2o11 PROGRAMS

“The Buffalo Public Schools Foundation does tremendous work to provide Buffalo’s students

with additional opportunities in art, music, athletics and programs that are essential for a well-rounded education”

~Amber Dixon, BPS Interim Superintendant

2o11 PROGRAMS

Musical Instruments ● Architecture Design Academy ●China Imersion Camp ● Textbooks ● Lacrosse Camp ● Artist in Every School

Sharing Our Talent (funding for statewide exhibition fees) Our school art programs are very strong. Evidence of this is displayed through student art that is exhibited throughout the year in local shows, and in the Buffalo Public Schools calendar. Through this program the Buffalo Public Schools art department is able to promote the great work of our students and the district’s Art Education Department through highly viewed exhibits. Olmsted Conservancy Partnership/McKinley Mural Project Teacher Stipend In this project the foundation funded a consultant stipend to work with the mural artist to oversee the students participating in the creation of the Olmstead conservancy mural project at McKinley High School. BPS art students were afforded the rare opportunity to work with a renowned mural artist and learn the art of murals and its process. Architecture & Design Academy Teaching Artists Stipend and Programmatic Support In 2011-2012, the Architecture & Design Academy entered its second year programming. Part of the success of this program was the ability to secure a teaching artist and an architect consultant who worked directly with our Architecture and Design Academy children as they were developing their creative designs, helping students determine functionality, research materials and historical connections, and build models in proportion and to scale. The Foundation funded a stipend for teaching artists, supplies and materials as well as a student field trip. BAVPA/BSC College Access Program “CAP” Textbooks In developing a further partnership between Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and Buffalo State College, a program was designed for arts students which allows them to earn college credit that can be used at BSC or any other college of choice. The Buffalo Pubic Schools Foundation funded a set of classroom textbooks (30) (currently being used at Buffalo State College) to ensure the rigor and success of the dual credit program. An Artist in Every School The Buffalo Public Schools Foundation is funding teaching artist stipends that allow each school in the district to retain one teaching artist in the 2011-2012 school year. Teaching artists are required to visit a school for 3 hours per day for 5 days. Summer Lacrosse Camp Boys and girls from Buffalo Public Schools in grades 6-12 received training from current and former professional lacrosse players and current college lacrosse players. It is the long term goal of the Buffalo Public Schools to create the first inner-city lacrosse organization and scholastic teams. Summer Soccer Camp This camp aims to increase the number of boys and girls in the Buffalo Public Schools soccer program and give them the essential skills to be competitive. It is the Buffalo Public Schools goal to invest funds to support a modified and junior varsity teams.

Student Artwork from “heARTS” Program

Inception through 12/31/11 REVENUE & PUBLIC SUPPORT: Donations $ 1,572,019.00 Interest $ 24,510.00 Total Revenue and Public Support $ 1,596,529.00 PROGRAM & GRANT FUNDING: $ 820,083.00 FOUNDATION OERATING EXPENSES: $ 204,919.00 Total Operating Expenses as a % of Donations & Interest 13% ASSETS & LIABILITIES (as of 12/31/11) Restricted Assets $ 258,814.00 Unrestricted Assets $ 312,713.00 TOTAL NET ASSETS $ 571,527.00

2011 FINANCIAL REPORT

Raising funds to provide a quality education for our

children involves a collaborative effort.

Donations are received from private foundations, private

donors and corporate donors who raise funds to provide services to our schools that

directly address the needs of our students and ensure their

academic excellence.

In addition, the BPSF received in-kind donations. This included

things such as printing, consulting services and staff

support. These in-kind donations further enabled the foundation to provide needed funding directly

to the schools.

President’s Circle

$50,000—$200,000 Anonymous Donor

Buffalo Bisons Baseball

Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Buffalo, Inc.

D’Youville College

First Group

Johnson Controls

LPCiminelli, Inc

Rich Family Foundation

Valedictorian

$10,000—$49,999 AdPro Sports

D.V. Brown & Associates

Ferguson Electric

First Niagara Bank

HSBC Bank, NA

John W. Danforth Company

M&T Bank,

Medaille College

New York Mets Foundation

Ülle Laaman Lewes

Xerox Corporation

(Honor Roll, continued) K. David Crone & Julia L. Jordan Amber M. Dixon

Eisenbach & Ruhnke, Inc.

Joseph Falk

Grove Roofing Services

Heritage Contract Flooring

Hodgson Russ, LLP

Hohl Industrial Services

Houghton Mifflin

Huber Construction

Iroquois Bar Corp.

Louie’s Texas Red Hots

Mader Construction

Friends of Crystal Peoples

Brian Parisi Copier Systems

R.W. Painting, Inc

Killian J. & Caroline F. Schmitt Foundation

Snyder Corporation

Steak & Cake Records

Sysco Food Services

Walsh Duffield Co.

Dr. James A. & Linda Williams

Robert G. Wilmers

WNED

Zaxis Financial

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

Salutatorian

$5,000 - $9,999 Cambium Learning—Sopris West

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

McGraw Hill

Painting and Decorating Contractors of Buffalo, Inc.

Tri-Main Development , LLC

Scholar

$3,000—$4,999 Consortium on Reading Excellence, Inc.

Rochester Davis Fetch, Corp.

Honor Roll

$500—$2,999 Alternative Information Systems

Anastasi Trucking & Paving

Anonymous Donor

Anonymous Donor

Arric Corporation

Daniel M. Boscarino

Donald K. Boswell

Buffalo Structural Steel

Mark Cerrone, Inc.

Supporter

$100—$499 ASI Sign Innovation

Colvin Draperies

Heather R. Groll

David T. Hartney

Janson Industries

Anne A. Laba & Bruce Supernault

Metzger Inc.

Parkitects, Inc.

Preferred Packaging

Reprocraft

S.L. Installations

Sienna Environmental

Friend

$1—$99 Buffalo Business Interiors

Stephan Michajilew

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daniel M. Boscarino President M&T Bank William J. Mariani, Ed.D. Vice President D’Youville College Robert B. Fleming, Jr. Secretary Hodgson Russ, LLP Christopher T. Nelson Treasurer PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Donald K. Boswell Board Member WNY Public Broadcasting Assoc. (WNED-TV/AM/FM, WBFO-FM) Gary M. Crosby Board Member First Niagara Bank, N.A. Jonathan A. Dandes Board Member Rich Baseball Operations Mark E. Hamister Board Member The Hamister Group, Inc. Anna A. Laba Board Member Pathways to Wellness Aaron Podolefsky, Ph.D. Board Member Buffalo State, SUNY Jack Quinn Board Member Erie Community College Bill Ransom Board Member WKBW-DT Sister Denise A. Roche, GNSH, Ph.D. Board Member D’Youville College Christopher D. Ross Board Member Lawley Insurance Honorable Rose H. Sconiers Board Member NYS Supreme Court Elizabeth A. Vealey, CPA, MBA Board Member Key Private Bank Amber M. Dixon Ex-Officio Interim Superintendent Buffalo Public Schools Elizabeth L. Zulawski Ex-Officio Executive Director Buffalo Public Schools Foundation

Making a Difference

Our Mission The mission of the Buffalo Public Schools Foundation is to ensure that all students in the district have access

to excellent academic, arts and athletic programs and facilities and to provide scholarships as appropriate by raising and allocating community dollars for these purposes.

Buffalo Public Schools Foundation P.O. Box 876 Buffalo, NY 14201 Phone: 716-854-2594 www.buffaloschoolsfoundation.org

The BPSF is a 501c3 organization. Tax I.D. # 38-3704493

Printing by Marketing Tech