The Friends of CRLS (FoCRLS) Winter’s End 2015 Newsletter is now available, and it is full of updates on FoCRLS programs — including Scholarships, Student Travel Fellowships, Faculty Innovation Grants, and the “It Takes a Village” College Success Program (ITAV) — as well as the FoCRLS MayFair Raffle, upcoming House Party, new “100 by 100” campaign, and more. To learn about how FoCRLS makes opportunities happen at CRLS, to become involved, or to donate, please read the FoCRLS newsletter by clicking here.

From the Executive Director, Elaine Schear:

InvestCRLS: A New Community-Opportunity Campaign

It’s my great pleasure to announce “InvestCRLS”, a FoCRLS campaign to close in on the opportunity and achievement gaps at CRLS and unleash the diverse and extraordinary talents of our 1800+ students.

Community Investment = Opportunity, Growth, Success

The goals of “InvestCRLS” are to expand student resources and to sustain our programs for as long as they’re needed. While continuing our annual fundraising projects and events, we have added:

— a new major donor campaign that aims to increase individual donations of $1,000 and above (currently our individual donations range from $5 to $6,000);

— ​a​ new “100 by 100” initiative, increasing our partnerships in the business community by seeking the support of 100 Cambridge businesses to each contribute $100 or more annually to a new scholarship fund, for a total of $10,000 each year.

InvestCRLS has begun, and the response is thumbs up! Parents, alumni, businesses, and Cambridge residents who wish to play a role in our public school students’ success, are stepping up to take part in the action.

Together, we are making it possible for every Rindge student to become a productive, innovative, confident, self-sustaining, and caring young adult.

Please join Friends of CRLS in congratulating our latest Faculty Innovation Grants awardees! (See list below.) These grants provide funds to enrich curriculum and provide services for (and by) CRLS students.

To date, 150 teachers, counselors, librarians, club advisors, and administrators have received grants of up to $1,000 each for enhancements in every department of CRLS and RTSA.

The experiences, materials, and improvements provided have made a difference in the education of an estimated 7,500 students!

We thank our many donors — family, friends, alumni, and business leaders — for supporting the power of the ideas of our exemplary CRLS educators.

2015 FOCRLS Faculty Grantees:

Nicole Hart, Instructional Technology Specialist, and Ginny Berkowitz, Media Arts Manager – “The CRLS Legacy Project: An Interactive Portrait of Cambridge’s 366 Year-old Public High School”
to “create an interactive online experience that will capture the past, present, and future of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.”

Conrad Hauck, Engineering Instructor, RSTA – “Funding for 2015 FIRST Robotics Team 97”
to help students “surpass the achievements of last year and anticipate increasing popularity in our robotics team due to our success.”

Kimberly Parker, English Teacher – “The Achievement Gap Literacy Initiative”
to “increase the literacy outcomes of CP 10 English students through the creation of a robust classroom library.”

Jennifer Sarmiento, English Teacher/Advisor, Literary Arts Magazine – “CRLS Literary Arts Magazine”
to create a magazine in which CRLS writers and artists can showcase their work and to make copies of this magazine affordable to students.

Elisabeth Macias, World History Teacher – “Funding for CRLS Model Congress”
in which “students will learn how to think globally, respond to moral or ethical dilemmas, and present their arguments in a clear, informed manner.”

Kate Greene, Special Education Teacher, High School Extension Program – “HSEP Community Building”
to increase attendance among students who have struggled for success by “encouraging them to take a leadership role in building a positive school community.”

Douglas Carey, Carpentry Teacher – “Rolling Planters for Physically Disabled Nursing Home Residents”
in which carpentry students will develop the skills to plan, budget, and complete the project and then donate the planters to nursing home residents, enabling them to grow flowers and vegetables.

Marlin Kann, History Teacher – “Beacon Hill’s African American History Experience”
in which 39 tenth graders in AP US History, who have demonstrated commitment to this demanding class, will have a fun, educational event “engaging and expanding their own historical understandings” and being introduced to archeology.

Jack Haverty, Senior Class Advisor – “Prom Funding Needs”
to make prom tickets available to 25 low-income seniors at half-price to bring inclusiveness to this community-building celebration of years spent together.

Jesse Kaplan, Office of Student Support – “Food for Thought: Providing Healthful Snacks to Improve Student Achievement”
to nourish students in self-contained academic classes who do not have access to other nutritional resources.

Congratulations to our awardees and thank you for energizing the CRLS experience for students!

Thank you to our many generous donors who made these grants possible!

Read the report here about accomplishments of Friends of CRLS during the past year, and the support of parents, alumni, and community members for the students and faculty of CRLS.

The board of FOCRLS is proud to announce the hiring of the organization’s first-ever Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Schear. The ED search was a vigorous undertaking which considered many candidates in a two-tiered interview process. The hiring of an ED is the latest step in the implementation of the FOCRLS strategic plan for long-term sustainability and growth. Please click here for the announcement with more details about this exciting development. We look forward to the beginning of this new stage for FOCRLS!

Read an article from the Cambridge Chronicle on 1/30/2015 about hiring the first-ever FOCRLS Executive Director.

We are pleased to share the Fall 2014 Newsletter of the Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. We are off to a great start to the year! As always, a big thank you to all of our supporters and volunteers.

Friends of CRLS is now 8 years old, and we’ve come a long way in that short time. During that time we have grown to 6 core programs (Faculty Innovation Grants, Student Travel Fellowships, the Unsung Heroes Program, Scholarships, the It Takes a Village college success program, and Faculty Distinction Awards), serving the entire CRLS community and its graduates.

We are now taking the significant step of moving towards hiring a part-time Executive Director, as part of the FOCRLS strategic plan goal of building long-term sustainability, making it possible for FOCRLS’ programs to thrive and grow long into the future.

Click here for the job description — please share this announcement with others.

The first FOCRLS Community Meeting of the 2014-2015 year was held on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 in the Media Cafeteria of the CRLS Main Building. It was a great success, as we celebrated 8 years and welcomed new volunteers. Please click here to read the press release for a summary of the meeting as well as testimonials from current volunteers.

Do you want to make a profound difference in the lives of ambitious, college-bound, low-income CRLS grads? Mentoring has been proven to increase student success and graduation rates for college-matriculating, low-income students. We are looking for mentors from the community in many fields! If you have time for one meeting a month with a CRLS graduate mentee, please see more info at our Mentoring Program page. Thank you!

Read an article on the mentoring program in the Cambridge Chronicle, 7/31/2014.

Four beloved and admired teachers at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) were honored with Faculty Distinction Awards at the June 5, 2014 graduation ceremony. Jon Baring-Gould, Amanda Hughes, Ned Flaherty, and Susie Van Blaricum were selected for their abilities to teach, inspire, and encourage students.

Sponsored by Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (FOCRLS) and organized by Assistant Principal Bobby Tynes, Faculty Distinction Awards are presented each year to the four teachers or staff members chosen by the graduating class as those who had the most positive influence.  This year’s honorees brought the total to 32 faculty recognized since FOCRLS began the tradition in 2007.  After Principal Damon Smith read honorees’ self-submitted bios to the graduates and guests, the honorees were presented with framed certificates and letters of appreciation.

For more information on the teachers selected and a photo of the ceremony, please click here.