Spring Newsletter

Posted by La Catalina Foundation on May 25, 2007, 2:36 pm
189.165.106.99

In case you haven’t visited our website lately, here is our spring newsletter summarizing some of La Catalina Foundation’s recent projects in La Manzanilla. To be able to access the links in the newsletter, please enter into our website directly at: www.lacatalinafoundation.com/Article.asp?id=%20412830 Spring has brought about new beginnings…on March 15, 2007 , the Ejido of La Manzanilla gave a donation of a 660m2 lot to La Catalina Foundation, earmarked for the construction of a new community education center. This facility will house a computer lab, library and several community classrooms for English classes and other educational programs and will be located on a lot adjacent to the preschool and elementary, so the school children may easily access the facility. The aim of the educational center is to provide free or highly subsidized programs aimed at helping to raise the overall educational level of the local Mexican children, teenagers and adults and make new opportunities possible, such as technology training. Fundraising and construction plans are currently being developed and will be made available soon on our website. For parties interested in being a partner with us on this project, please contact us to inquire about ways you can get involved. Thank you to all of you who attended and donated items for our 3rd annual “A Night Under the Stars” silent auction in February. This event helped us raise $69,265 pesos. In addition to this being La Catalina Foundation’s annual fundraiser to help sustain and enhance their educational programs, every year we give the school a direct contribution earmarked for specific projects they are carrying out. This year $13,000 pesos went to the elementary of which $8,000 is earmarked for constructing a new fence around the school and $5,000 for teachers to purchase supplies for their classrooms. The middle school received $2500 pesos earmarked for computer reparation and $2500 pesos in school and art supplies went to the kinder. A financial summary of our 2007 auction can be viewed by clicking here. To find out about the new format we are planning for next year’s auction, please click here. La Catalina Foundation has contracted a new Mexican folkloric dance teacher, Ana De Niz , who also incorporates art classes into her program. She is delivering a 90 minute class once a week to each grade level in the elementary school. We want to thank Joanie and Joe Santana for assisting us with sponsoring this program. Our super volunteers during the winter quarter have been Duane Chavez and Judy Rohloff . Duane has been our key photographer and a faithful assistant teacher with the elementary, middle school and adult English programs. Judy has also been a big help to our teacher, Ruth , with our elementary school English classes. Also, thank you to Ann & Tim Edwards for their commitment supporting La Catalina Foundation’s efforts and helping with our middle school math training program. NEW additions to our website include a Frequently Asked Questions page. We are also working on posting La Catalina Foundation’s Annual Financial Statements and making our site bilingual and hope to have these additions soon! ˇHasta la proxima!

Be sure to visit www.lamanzanilla.info