Dear New Vista Families-

There are exciting things happening at our special school. We are working hard at increasing our effectiveness as a school, and providing your students with even more incredible learning opportunities. With this year’s drastic budget cuts, we now need your help more than ever. We are beginning our annual fundraising drive earlier this year with the goal of funding several dramatic initiatives for the coming year.

Please take a moment to read through this letter and see how you can participate. As you know, New Vista is an incredible school. While the majority of our funding comes from the state of Colorado, via Boulder Valley School District, together we can do even better. As a community you have consistently shown your support to New Vista year after year. This will be our only annual fundraiser and you can choose where you want your money to go.

Here are four examples of the kind of needs New Vista has right now.

1. Classroom Computers ($10,710):
   Beginning next year, each of our classrooms will have a new digital projector and access to instant digital on-demand media. Teachers will be able to provide our students with a variety of films, TV, video clips, images, archival footage and even the ability to collaborate with other students in other classes through our new digital network. This program will fundamentally change our learning and instruction, and we need your help to make it happen. New Vista currently does not have any computers in our classrooms. Several years ago, faculty made the decision to donate their classroom computers to our study center, creating a new computer lab for all students to access. Our Open Lab is comprised of all of these repurposed classroom computers. In order for us to utilize our new projectors and digital content, we need 18 new classroom computers. We can purchase each computer through BVSD for $595.00.

2. Kitchen Improvements/School Lunch Program (total: $30,000):
   Many of you have heard me talk about our need for a lunch program. The district is willing to help support us, but our kitchen needs a serious overhaul. Our last estimate was between 20 and 30 thousand dollars to bring our kitchen up to health code standards. While this seems like an unattainable sum for a school as small as New Vista, with a little help from everyone, we can make a lunch program a reality.

3. Continuing the “Natural Highs” Program (total: $ 5,000):
   One of our most important core values is to “Do school and school activities substance free”. Here at New Vista we have an amazing intervention to help our students choose a sober lifestyle: Natural Highs. Here is some information from their website: “The Natural Highs program at New Vista High School is designed to increase the number of students who live a healthy, sober lifestyle. It incorporates numerous creative ways in which students learn about the effects of substance use, discover alternatives to substance use, support one another in sobriety and take leadership roles in which they can positively impact other students. The Natural Highs program directly serves approximately 120 students per year at New Vista High School. It indirectly serves all 320 New Vista students through school wide activities and the friendships participants foster throughout the school as a result of their involvement. Including the events hosted by the Natural Highs Action Group, we imagine over 1,000 people will be indirectly served through this program.” Unfortunately due to our budget cuts, New Vista can no longer directly fund this program. Not without your help.

4. Para-Educators for the Study Center (total: $15,000):
   Our budget this year left us without any funding for para-educators. With your help we can fund a para-educator to staff our study center each day. Currently the study center is closed early mornings and late afternoons. With your help we can open it all day and provide our students a safe place to study, work with teachers, and use computers. Funding a para-educator will benefit all New Vista students in a very real and meaningful way.

My goal is to raise the $60,710 we need to make all four of these programs and projects possible. If each of our approximately 320 New Vista families donated to our cause, that would amount to $190 per family. Obviously, some cannot give at this level in what we know are difficult times. But we hope that perhaps those that can might give more than their “share,” so that in the end it will all balance out. Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated. As I am finishing my first year at New Vista I am continuously impressed and proud of all our small school accomplishes. While we are facing tough times ahead, I am confident that our community can provide this school with all the resources we need to truly make New Vista a Community of Excellence.

Thank you for your support,