Barrington Education Foundation

BEF RUBBER DUCKY RACE

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

2:00 - 4:00 P.M.

Race time is at 3:00 P.M. at Woods Pond at Town Hall

September 1, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Debbie Jerome 245-9559

Valerie Connor 247-7323

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEPTEMBER 27^TH MARKS SIXTEENTH ANNUAL BEF

RUBBER DUCKY DAY AND RACE

Save the date of Saturday, September 27, 2008 for the 16^th annual swimming of the ducks in Barrington Education Foundation’s Rubber Ducky Day and Race! The Barrington Education Foundation was founded in 1992 as a non-profit organization designed to support excellence in the Barrington public schools. BEF has awarded over $670,000 in grants to support a wide range of creative and resourceful programs that benefit all six schools in the district, grades K-12. Grants from BEF ranged from a few hundred dollars to over $12,000. These grants have funded visiting authors, music equipment, computers, many library books, ELMO projectors, fitness equipment, scientific equipment, astronomy software, DNA fingerprinting equipment, filmmaking software, flat-screened televisions, interactive whiteboards, and a high school substance abuse curriculum with presentations by guest speakers.

This Ducky Race event is BEF’s annual fall fundraiser. BEF is proud to have Orthodontic Partners as this year’s lead corporate sponsor. Our other corporate sponsors include Barrington Times, Bank of America, Butera Building and Design, The Floor Center Premium Flooring Outlet, Gil’s Television & Appliances, Munroe Dairy, Roofing Doctor, RM Painting, Webster Bank, Wright Building and Remodeling, Bagels Etc. Barrington Pediatrics, Brown, Lisle/Cummings, Inc., Centre Court, Coleman Realtors, Grooves Theatrical Dance, Harbor Animal Hospital, Moses & Afonso, Ltd., Residential Properties, Ltd., Tiffany’s Salon and Spa, AAA Southern New England, The Daily Scoop, East Bay Pediatrics, Narrangansett Underwriting Group, Sylvan Learning Center, Teapots & Tassels, Wild Flower Florist & Garden Center, and The Gob Shop. All proceeds from the sale of $10 tickets (6 tickets for $50) go to BEF programs and grant opportunities. All community members are encouraged to purchase tickets to adopt a duck in the race. Based on the finishing placement of the sponsored ducks, winning ticket holders could be awarded $1,500 (first prize), $500 (second prize), or a Wii Console with Wii Fit as well as many more great prizes.

Rain or shine, the ducks will make their appointed rounds from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Barrington Town Hall and Woods Pond, with a DJ, refreshments, balloons, tattoos and lots of family fun. The race begins at 3:00 p.m. Race tickets are available via backpack notices, on both BEF’s website and the town of Barrington’s website, and are available on location the day of the race. All community members are invited to help the Barrington public schools! To learn more about Barrington Education Foundation, please visit our website at www.barringtoneducation.org.

Here's a great new way to support ALL of Barrington's public schools while generating tremendous exposure and goodwill in the community at the same time. For a minimal investment (amounts range from $250 to $2,500), you can become a sponsor of Barrington Education Foundation (BEF). For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact either Tracy Daugherty at btdaugherty@gmail.com or Heidi Dolan at mhklb@cox.net.

Barrington Education Foundation
283 County Road
Barrington, Rhode Island 02806

The Barrington Education Foundation (BEF) is a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to the support and enrichment of all students within the Barrington Public Schools. Founded in 1992, BEF has raised and awarded over $670,000 to fund a wide range of programs, technology and materials through an annual grant cycle, providing direct benefit for the enrichment of students in all schools and grades in the district.

With this announcement of $68,441 in award funding for 2008, BEF provides funding for 16 grants that are distributed among all six district schools. Technology grants comprised the largest category of grant proposals, followed by literacy grant proposals.

The Barrington Education Foundation uses proceeds from its two annual fundraising events, the Rubber Ducky Race and the BEF Telethon (to be held March 3^rd and 4^th, 2008), as well as funds raised through the United Way, from individual donors, sponsors and businesses to provide funding for these annual grant awards. Our largest sponsors this year are Merrill Lynch, Orthodontic Partners, Barrington Times, Coleman Realtors, Residential Properties and Lighthouse MD – all of which contributed $500 or more. In addition, BEF was the recipient of a generous and significant charity contribution of $11,000 from the CVS Charity Classic Golf Tournament, which helped tremendously with BEF’s ability to grant such deserving programs. BEF is proud to announce the following grant awards:

 Interactive Whiteboard Technology: To be used by the math department to benefit all math students by providing the opportunity for interactive learning.

 Large screen LCD: A 50” flat screen will be installed in the lunch room to project the morning show and other video productions to a broader audience. Also this will improve communication in the high school with regards to schedule changes and upcoming events.

 Senior Project Resource: Research books will be added to the library’s existing collection for all students, more specifically seniors, to support investigation of topic selection, research of thesis paper, background for fieldwork and skills resources for presentations of senior projects.

 Classroom Jeopardy: The Classroom Jeopardy software set will offer a creative approach for science teachers in preparing students for science assessments.

 Life of an Athlete: an integrated high school substance abuse curriculum with presentations by guest speakers.

 Projecting Success: 12 LCD/speaker set-ups will be purchased for the Language Arts classrooms in the middle school to enhance differentiated learning.

 Expansion of Music Computer Lab: This grant will allow for the expansion of computers and software for the electronic component of the music program.

 Reading for All: An estimated 225 books will be purchased to benefit all middle school students and to aid in differentiated instruction and a new seventh grade social studies curriculum.

 Robotics: Two additional computer Robotics Work Stations will be purchased for the lab. Each student in class will now have access to a computer to build and program a robot.

 Large Printer : A 24” roll printer will be used by teachers to create educational posters for the classrooms.

 Technology on the Go: Funds will allow for the installation of 9 wireless computer access ports (making the school wireless) along with the purchase of 5 laptops to allow teachers to implement creative projects right in their classrooms.

 Mobile Technology: A mobile PCU and 30” LCD monitor will be purchased allowing increased accessibility for group presentations in each classroom.

 Digital Piano: A new digital piano for the school to enhance music programs.

 Books Fall Open: Enhance all classroom libraries to better meet the needs of all students and different reading levels.

 Good Sports: Funds to be used to purchase library materials that support student interest in sports and recreation.

 Library Materials to support K-3 Social Studies Curriculum: All three elementary schools will purchase library books to support the new social studies curriculum in each grade to further learning in the classroom and individually.

 Folk Music Workshops with Atwater-Donnelly : Atwater-Donnelly will perform workshops for the students offering insights into the genre and origins of folk music. The workshops will also raise awareness of the health benefits of dance and the physical requirements of dancers.

Important philanthropic reminder to the Friends of Barrington Education Foundation...

As you are aware, since 1992 BEF has awarded more than $670,000 in grants to the Barrington Public Schools benefiting every school in the district, grades K through 12!

Please consider BEF during the upcoming 2007 United Way Campaign. Many companies provide matching funds which would double your contribution!

It’s so easy to designate your contributions to the United Way and have Barrington Education Foundation be the beneficiary. Simply designate your United Way gift to BEF, indicating the foundation's full name and community as Barrington Education Foundation, Barrington, RI

Thank you for your interest and for supporting the Barrington Education Foundation!