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Vanir Foundation California Partner SchoolsBurbank Elementary, San Bernardino | Maple Elementary, Sacramento | Mother of Sorrows Elementary, Los Angeles | Tyrrell Elementary | Hayward

Lasting Impressions on Family, Teachers & Students

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Foundation in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez

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2010 Friends of the Vanir Foundation in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez

HIGHLIGHTS: This was a remarkable year for the Vanir Foundation as we grew due to the generosity of our donors. We trust these 2010 Donor Highlights are an encouragement as together we build an organization to help thousands of youngsters.

• Nearly 200 individuals and companies provided a gift to meet the growing needs of our schools and students.• Over 55% of our contributors were first-time donors.• Year-end giving more than tripled over previous similar appeals.

This increase in support has allowed the Vanir Foundation to provide the largest total grants ever awarded. We sincerely thank each of our faithful friends.

Each issue of our newsletter will be recognizing various donor groups. This issue we honors those companies and organizations who have so generously supported the Foundation.

2010-2011 Company and Organization Donors*SPRING 2011

CHALKBOARD CLIPS

AT-A-GLANCE

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ACH Mechanical Contractors Aguer Havelock Associates American General Service American River Bank Bank of the WestBurnett + Company LLP Cabrera Capital Markets CaltronicsCircle City Roofing, Inc. Colton Chamber of Commerce Community Planning Services Culinary Specialists De Luna Partners, Inc. San Bernardino Economic Development Agency F. Geoffrey Samora D.C.S.W. & AssociatesFair Price Carpets Five Star Bank Garcia Consulting Gateway Science & Engineering Gilbert Associates, Inc. Golden Henning Icon, Inc. Ideate, Inc.

Jack in the Box (Roseville)Jenkins Insurance Group KVIE, Inc. La Carreta Wholesalers Lange Twins Winery & VineyardsLucas WineryMail & More McCarthy Building Companies Michael-David WineryMurphy, Austin, Adams, Schoenfeld, LLP Pacifica Services, Inc. Palladium Capital Management Paradise Plant Maintenance Parking Company of America PDI Process Worldwide Pineapple Group, LLC Pride Industries R.G. Dominguez Insurance Robert Clapper Construction Rogers, Anderson, Malody, & Scott, LLP Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento Rural Housing

Safeway Security Systems Sempra Energy, The Gas Company Sheraton Grand Hotel SacramentoSmart Stop LiquorSteve Julius Construction Tangles Vineyard & WineryThe Alliance Group The McKinley Group The Sacramento Bee The Sterling Group, LTD Toyota of San Bernardino Vanir Construction Management, Inc. Vanir Development Company, Inc. Vasquez & Company, LLP VIA Vista Corporation Umpqua BankWells Fargo BankYoung Electric Sign Company

Spring 2011

The Vanir Foundation in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez

Dedicated to partnering with schools in underserved communities by meeting basic needs and promoting achievement in math, science and the language arts.

Dorene DominguezPresident and Chairman of the Board

Board of DirectorsMansour AliabadiSusan DominguezLawrence GarciaPatricia GreenAlexander V. LeonH. Vincent McLaughlinGeorge OpacicPamela S. Hargis, Executive Director

Special thanks to our corporate sponsor for generously underwritting the production of this issue of upLIFT students.

Graphic Designer:Jennifer Porter-Kenyon

Foundation in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez4540 Duckhorn Drive, Suite 200Sacramento, CA 95834916-419-2415pamela.hargis@vanirfoundation.orgwww.vanirfoundation.org

Federal Tax ID #20-0774784

AMBASSADORS

• Stocked Full of Motivation (page 2)

• Parent Involvement Jumps 10% (page 2)

• Reading Scores Soar (page 3)

• How donations are spent by Vanir Foundation (page 3)

• 2010 Foundation Donation Highlights (page 4)

Nearly 300 families received Holiday Food Baskets in 2010 for their involvement in their child’s school. A huge thank you to the Ambassadors, the Vanir volunteer group, parents, school staff and community members who helped.

Top photo: Burbank Volunteers Bottom photo: Maple Volunteers

* This list was prepared with great care, but if errors or omissions are found, please e-mail: pamela.hargis@vanirfoundation.org.

The latest Foundation happenings at our Partner Schools .

Burbank Elementary: Students have returned from Crystal Cove Science Camp where they participated in an Outdoor Science hands-on-learning experience.

Maple Elementary: Saturday School is in session for children who need tutoring. On March 30th Literacy Night for Parents was held with free childcare available. Teaching tools were provided for the parents to take home.

Mother of Sorrows Elementary: The 4th and 5th graders are using the new Engineering is Elementary program, an innovative after-school program cover-ing topics such as civil, electrical, and chemical engineering.

Tyrrell Elementary: Over 130 new Accelerated Reading books have arrived. Free babysitting for Parent University made it possible for more parents to attend. A special Black History Month School Assembly was recently held.

Reading Scores Soar...In 2009 Vanir Foundation began providing the Mother of Sorrows Elementary School in Los Angeles an Accelerated Reader Program. At the same time, their staff began to research the most effective approach to teaching reading to children living in the inner city. “I truly believe what we are doing is revolutionary,” said Principal, Jennifer Beltramo. more inside…

Stocked Full of Motivation... Recently, the Vanir Foundation printed $19,500 in $1, $5, and $10 bills—Dragon Dollars for the new Tyrrell Elementary Student Store. For some time the staff at Tyrrell in Hayward dreamed about starting a school store. Not because they wanted to generate revenue, since there is no exchange of real money, but because the Tyrrell Team knew their children would respond to performance incentives. But there were two problems. First, there was only a tiny dark room available for the store, and secondly, there was no money to buy inventory. more inside…

Lasting Impressions... With the help of our donors Vanir Foundation creates lasting impressions in our students’ world, many of whom have never left their neighborhood like fifth grade student Elizabeth.

We would like to thank you for your generosity to our 5th grade classes… My favorite part of Berkeley was Lawrence Hall of Science because it had a lot of cool things. I also liked the Sather Tower. It’s over 300 ft. tall! Berkeley made me realize that I want to go to college... Well, thank you again for your generosity. -Elizabeth

2010-2011VANIR FOUNDATION

SCHOOL GRANTS

Tyrrell Student Incentives

Completed homework (all week) ................................................ $ 5Caught helping/doing a good deed (positive character) .............$ 1Student of the month .................................................................. $10Moving up a level in the Accelerated Reading Program ..............$10Good grades on the report card .................................................. $10Attending school all week and being on time ............................. $ 5

Reading Scores SoarContinued from front cover

At the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, 100% of the second grade students at Mother of Sorrows Elementary in Los Angeles had something in common. They all scored below grade level in reading comprehension. By the end of the school year, Ms. Beltramo reports 64% of these second grade students had reading comprehension scores at or above grade level and more than half the students doubled their scores. One student even ended the year at the 4th grade reading level. “This is remarkable progress considering nationally by 3rd grade only 24% of children from low-income families can read,” stressed Ms. Beltramo. (At Mother of Sorrows, 98% of the students’ families live below the poverty level.) The good news didn’t stop with the 2nd grade students. Last school year, only 19% of the 8th grade students were at grade level in reading comprehension. By year-end, 71% of these students were at or above grade level with 52% at or above 9th grade level. In August 2010, the 6th grade class began using the program, at which time only 34% of the students were at grade level in reading comprehension. By March of this year 84% were at or above grade level. Congratulations to the students, parents, teachers and staff at Mother of Sorrows for a job well done.

Let’s Talk Turkey!

Parent Involvement Jumps 10% First Year

Maple Elementary School Principal, Lorena Carrillo

Mother of Sorrows teacher working with students on reading after school.

Foundation FAQsQ: What percentages of the donations received by the Vanir Foundation go to the partner schools?

A: The Vanir Foundation provides their partner schools 100% of the donations received.

Q: How are the donations to the Foundation spent?

A: The Vanir Foundation provides grants covering programming in six primary areas.

Academic Interventions include the funding of tutors; the purchase of textbooks; and language arts, math, science and financial literacy programs. Performance Incentives include graduation awards/stipends and school store inventory. Basic Needs include the purchase of required school uniforms or other student clothing.Parent Engagement programs include providing childcare and materials for parent education sessions and holiday food baskets for parents who attend parent teacher conferences and school activities.Learning Environment Improvements include the purchase and installation of classroom technology. Exploration Activities include field trips and educational school assemblies.

Special thanks to Pacific Gas and Electric Company for providing a generous grant making it possible for children from Maple Elementary School in Sacramento to take a Field Trip focused on learning more about our environment. PG & E supports organizations in the communities they serve so school children are exposed to exciting and educational environmental experiences.

Academic Interventions 35%Performance Incentives 8%Basic Needs 14%Parent Engagement 13%Learning Environment 6%Exploration Activities 24%

Lasting Impressions on Family, Teachers & Students upLIFTstudents

Burbank Elementary• Parent Participation Food Baskets• MIND Research Math Curriculum• Science Field Trip• Student Performance Incentives

Maple Elementary• Alarm Clocks/Attendance Program• Parent Training Night

Childcare/Materials• Classroom Projector Installation • Parent Participation Food Baskets• Saturday School Tutors• Science Field Trip• School Uniforms

Mother of Sorrows Elementary• Accelerated Reading Program • Engineering is Elementary Program• Student Performance Incentives

Tyrrell Elementary• Accelerated Reading Program• Parent Training Night

Childcare/Materials• Educational Assemblies• Field Trips• Student Performance Incentives• School Uniforms

On Friday, December 17, 2010, a truck full of frozen turkeys and all the fixings were unloaded into the Maple Elementary Cafeteria where Vanir Volunteers and several Maple Parents stood ready to put together 130 Holiday meals. The late H. Frank Dominguez believed that children did better in school when their parents participated in their education. The Vanir Foundation carries on his legacy by providing parents, who participate in their child’s Parent-Teacher Conference and other school activities, with boxes overflowing with ingredients for a holiday meal.“This was the first year that we offered our parents this opportunity and attendance at parent-teacher conferences increased 10%,” shared Maple Principal Lorena Carrillo. “When more parents get involved, this allows us to engage them in a much more significant way.”

Today, thanks to the donors of the Vanir Foundation, the Tyrrell Dragons have a bright Student Store full of books, school supplies and fun things like glitter rings, finger puppets, dinosaur rubber bands, and sports ball pencil sharpeners. Early mornings or after school, students line up eager to trade in their Dragon Dollars. “It is rewarding to see our children learn about being responsible with their money, how to save and how math is important in everyday life,” stressed Tyrrell Principal, Marvelyn Maldonado.“The Student Store has been a big incentive this year,” reports Principal Maldonado. “Teachers love the fact that they do not have to constantly worry about incentives for their students, and our children love shopping with their Dragon money!”

Stocked Full of Motivation Continued from front cover

My son is a student here at Maple School, and he is in second grade. I am very grate-ful for the food basket that was provided to us December 2010.

This basket of food was much help, and my family was very happy for it. We shared a delicious meal with all of our family and friends. It was a beautiful Christmas filled with joy. May god bless you all, and once again, thank you for sharing with us.

Sincerely, Christina Herrera(Third from the left)