Strelitz International Academy returned from Winter Break to Spirit Week, January 5–8, culminating in the Day of Giving, hoping to inspire parents to participate in the school’s annual donor fund (ADF) reflecting the power of community.
Spirit Week was the brainchild of SIA’s Parent Volunteer Committee and Student Government Association to highlight this important Week of Giving to join together to raise funds to meet SIA’s 2020–2021 Annual Donor Fund goals.
Spirit Week kicked off on Tuesday, January 5 with a crazy sock day. Some students wore blue and pink mismatched socks, while others borrowed from their parents’ drawers and wore dress socks high up past their knees.
Wednesday’s “spirit wear” continued with a Sports Jersey Day. Even though students wore a mix of jerseys from around the world, such as the Orioles, Maccabi Haifa Soccer, and ODU Basketball, SIA students are all on the same team when it comes to their love for SIA.
As everyone wished for peace and an end to the pandemic in 2021, students rocked their tie-dyed t-shirts, socks, and even masks on Thursday.
On Friday, everyone donned their favorite silly or serious hats as a hats off and ‘thank you’ to the families participating in Spirit week.
After a week of excitement and community, Spirit Week culminated on Friday, January 8 with SIA’s first ever Day of Giving. SIA’s Spirit Week had a record breaking 77% parent participation to the Annual Donor Fund, raising almost $20,000. Many of our families shared the wonderful and inspiring reasons that they choose to make an annual gift to the Strelitz International Academy.
“No matter the amount of tuition we can pay, or how much we can give the Annual Donor Fund in any given year, we feel it’s important to be counted amongst those families investing in the future of SIA,” says Amy and Eliot Weinstein, parents of Avi in Kindergarten and Daniella in the Early Years program. “Our gift is our extra investment in our kids, their classmates, their teachers, the unique education and excellent programs. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be part of the SIA family, and we want to pay it forward.”
SIA’s Annual Donor Fund benefits the school by supporting its flexible tuition program, reducing tuition to meet the unique needs and circumstances for each individual family; bridging the gap between operating costs and SIA’s tuition revenue, which allows the school to keep tuition costs low; and supporting advancement and staff development towards International BaccalaureateⓇ accreditation.
Strelitz International Academy strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment, teach Jewish ethics and values and advanced academic standards as a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years program.
Carly Glikman is director of development at Strelitz International Academy.
– Carly Glikman