More than $170,000 was raised at The Orono Alliance Gala held at the Metropolitan Ballroom on Saturday, April 14. More than 350 people attended the 1950’s-inspired event, which serves as the primary annual fundraiser for Orono Schools.
Orono Schools were founded in 1951 and the Orono Alliance Gala was a celebration of the 60th anniversary year. With live music from the 57 Chevy Band, beautiful 1950’s-inspired decorations, guests decked out in poodle skirts and leather jackets, it was a night to celebrate Orono School’s impressive history. The evening’s “Fund-A-Need” program focused on expanding and improving Orono’s World Language programs for all K-12 students, which will ensure Orono students’ ability to succeed in the global market. “This event was a wonderful celebration of our excellent schools and one of the most successful fund raisers we have ever had, which allows us to directly impact opportunities for our children. The Gala funds account for about half of the total donation that we plan to give to Orono Schools this year, so it was incredible to raise just over $170,000 during this event,” says Jeanne Morrison Cook, Director of Development for The Orono Alliance. “Funds raised by our fiscal year-end of June 30th, 2012, will directly affect students starting this fall,” Cook explains.

The Orono Alliance is thankful to the Gala Co-Chairs Kimberly Mueller and Christina Levitt, their committee, Orono parents, teachers, business sponsors and the community for this wonderful support of our students.

 Thursday, April 26, 7:00-8:00pm

Orono Middle School Auditorium

Without a doubt, the most important decisions teenagers make are the ones they face when their parents are not around.  In fact, parents may not even know about the challenges that confront their teenagers until much later.

On the evening of April 26, Dr. Steven Kahn (a psychologist in the

Twin Cities for more than 30 years) will return to Orono Middle School

with a message about how parents can have influence over their teenagers decisions even when they are away from them.  In this season of prom and graduations, this topic will prove to be helpful and insightful to all who attend.

Please RSVP by April 23 to Sheila Ross by clicking here.

Brought to you in partnership by The Orono Alliance for Education, Spartan Parent Association and Orono High School.  This speaker was privately funded by individual Orono parents.   

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have graduated from Orono High School at least 15 years ago, and have made significant contributions to their community, profession or nation.

Click here for more information.  Nominations need to be received by the end of April.

Have you ever wondered what impact Orono’s world language curriculum has had on our students?  For Orono alumni, Lydia Kantor and Elizabeth Nelsen, the language experience at Orono High School ignited their passion for other languages and cultures, helped them to understand the world around them and encouraged them to pursue their language studies in college and in their professional lives.

Lydia Kantor credits her experience at Orono High School for providing her with a strong grammatical base and giving her a high proficiency in Spanish.  As Lydia describes, her language skills have made her “a lot more hirable these days, since the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. is growing.”

Lydia Kantor, Orono ’09

Elizabeth Nelsen, Orono ’07

Elizabeth Nelsen says, “I owe my motivation, enthusiasm and success to a program that created a passion for language and cultures in my life”. Elizabeth adds, “Language acquisition starts in the earliest years of life, and I think adding language programs in elementary and middle school would help students to truly learn and understand the another language”.

We couldn’t agree more, which is why World Languages will be the focus of the “Fund-a-Need” at this year’s gala.

By meeting our fundraising goal, Orono Schools will be able to offer world languages and cultural explorations to grades 3-6, where currently there are no language offerings.  In addition, Orono Schools would be able to expand and enhance their current language offerings for all students and purchase necessary equipment for the language lab.

In addition, Orono Schools would be able to expand and enhance their current language offerings for all K-12 students and purchase necessary equipment for the high school language lab.

DONATE NOW TO WORLD LANGUAGES!

To learn more or to become involved in our World Language initiative, contact Jeanne Cook, Director of Development, by clicking here.

In March, Harvest Moon Grocery & Deli in Long Lake, gave customers the option of rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar – and 100% of the “round up” was donated to Orono Schools (through the Orono Alliance for Education).  More than $500 was raised by our community.  The Orono Alliance would like to thank Harvest Moon and the many community members who rounded up for education.  Every penny adds up!

The Orono Alliance seeks to improve the overall educational experience in Orono schools.  By partnering with the schools and identifying specific program and curriculum needs, the Orono Alliance Annual Gala provides a unique opportunity to raise funds for a targeted purpose.

In 2011, the Orono Alliance gala raised $100,000, which was necessary to provide critical enhancements to the STEM curriculum  (Science Technology Engineering and Math).  Thanks to all of you, the Orono students are already benefitting from the 3D printer, i-Pads and other STEM improvements.
In 2012, World Languages will be the focus of the gala’s “Fund-a-Need”.  By meeting our fundraising goal, Orono Schools will be able to offer world languages and cultural explorations to all K-12 Orono students.  According to Marilyn Pedersen (World Languages Chair for Orono High School and member of the World Languages Innovation Team), research shows that there are many benefits of learning a second language, including:

• Teaching children to understand and appreciate different cultures
• Higher standardized test scores
• Better overall grades and college admissions
• Better understanding of English syntax and grammar
• Greater knowledge of other curricular areas, such as history, geography, politics and religion

The World Language curriculum is just one more way that Orono is preparing our students to compete in a global community.