The Wing Institute gave its 2009 Ernie Wing Award for Excellence in Evidence-based Education to two organizations and their founders in recognition of their work in developing, implementing, and sustaining a "data-based decision making organization and culture" designed to provide state-of-the-art educational services. The awards were given to:

Ken Traupmann Ph.D., Suzanne Fitch Ph.D., and The Institute for Effective Education
Kent Johnson Ph.D and Morningside Academy

The Institute for Effective Education is a world-class educational program, achieving unparalleled outcomes with student performance, staff development, and applied research. They have demonstrated that all students can learn, and that an educational culture can be built that is reinforcing, learner-centered, data based, and inclusive. They have continually exhibited a commitment to the community and dissemination of best practices through partnering with public schools, universities, and other community agencies. Their positive impact on student lives and their community has been dramatic.

Morningside Academy has an equally long list of achievements. They have gained international recognition for their work in researching, developing and implementing state-of-the-art reading curriculums: direct instruction and precision teaching. They have formal partnerships with schools and agencies throughout the United States, Canada, and South Africa, working in over 100 sites to implement instructional programs in reading, reasoning, math, writing, thinking, and study skills. The programs they operate in Seattle (Morningside Academy) produce extraordinary results for their students.

As much as this award recognizes the excellence of the Institute for Effective Education and Morningside Academy, it also highlights the sustainability of their efforts, outcomes and success over the past 25 years. "What is truly extraordinary is the length of time they both have maintained the highest levels of quality services, ethical standards, and community partnership," noted Randy Keyworth, Executive Director of the Wing Institute. "Their commitment to performance based outcomes, continuous improvement, and the advancement of the science of effective education has built a culture whose success will continue well into the future. They are truly a unique and exceptional organizations!"

The Ernie Wing Award, given annually by the Wing Institute, was named after Ernie Wing, an educator and special education advocate who championed the cause of evidence-based education in California. The award honors excellence in one or more of the critical areas necessary to build an evidence-based culture: efficacy research, effectiveness research, implementation, and progress monitoring. Nominations are accepted from the Wing Institute's knowledge network, an inter-disciplinary group of education stakeholders from across the nation.

The Wing Institute is a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting evidence-based education. Its goal is to be a "catalyst" supporting individuals and organizations engaged in evidence-based education across disciplines, geographic regions, and in "real world settings. It offers professional forums, an information clearinghouse, research, publications and a knowledge network.

Arctic Club Hotel
Northern Lights Dome Room

Enter the room that made the Arctic Club legendary and witness the breathtaking, filtered, natural light and original carved motifs. With two walls of stained glass showcasing exceptional beauty, this is the space for which you've been looking. The Northern Lights Dome Room is renowned for its Rococo gilding, original artistic frescos, ornamental cornices and stained glass dome.

Getting Donations

Interested in helping us get donations for the big event in 2020? Here's what you'll need:

(Forms in .PDF format)

• 2010 Letter for the potential sponsor
• 2010 Sponsorship Form
• 2010 Display Ads Form
• 2010 Comments from parents and alumni about Morningside Academy

• 2010 Procurement Form (This form can be filled out and printed, or saved and transmitted electronically)
  

To All Parents, Guardians, Family Members and Friends,

In the spirit of building a strong community, this year's event was signal in its effect of delivering an upscale social experience for all. We found ourselves enthralled by the beauty of the Dome Room at the Arctic Club Hotel, captivated by our engaging host, Adam Gehrke, and lulled into a state of comfort by our jazz musicians, The Josh Rawlings Trio and Ernie Bracco and The Gypsy Three.

Auctioneer, David Silverman, cajoled the crowd to bid on fabulous donated items from our great variety of local business partners and our own families. Our annual fundraising push has resulted in a net profit of $75,000 for our school!

We know that you, as supporters of our school, are a generous group of people.

This party is truly a Thank You Gift we usher up annually in order to provide much needed scholarship funds and to provide some additional funds to assist the school in its programs. You make a choice in giving when you select our school, and we appreciate the help you provide.

In return we want you to feel that your contributions have been honored so to show our appreciation the entire faculty, staff and families of the school are invited to an Appreciation Party at Kent's house each May. We were fortunate to have had great weather this year. The event was well attended and all enjoyed the chance to socialize and celebrate another successful year. Kent and Joanne addressed the crowd with words of thanks. Beth talked about the many volunteers who help through the Friends of Morningside, and I delivered awards to those who worked so hard on the Auction Committee and to those who became sponsors for this year's event.

Each year the event grows a bit larger, and we encourage you to help us with this huge annual undertaking. Blue Lazarou, Auction Chair, and Karen Voorhees, Procurement Chair, spoke about the sheer joy of working on the auction and the sense of community it has provided to them. They urged others to join in the effort.

Please take the time to read through this list of our many volunteers, sponsors and donors. With all of you and your generosity, we were once again able to give a gift to our school. Times may be tough, but we recognize the vital role Morningside provides to our community and the children and youth it educates.

Thank you,
Dawn Oliver, Director of Development

Special recognition of our 2009 Sponsors and Donors

Download the reply card and mail it in today.

You can reserve a table now. Invite your family, friends, business associates and anyone else who appreciates a wonderful meal, great company and a fun evening.

Download the form and reserve your table today!

Original Publish Date : 10/7/2008

So our first annual How-To issue seems like a good time to examine whether there's a trick to picking up a skill quickly. And as it turns out, there is.

Meet Kent Johnson. He started a school in Seattle called the Morningside Academy. Many of its students have learning disabilities. So it is noteworthy that Morningside students advance in the skills where they have their greatest deficits by about 2.4 grade levels annually.

Morningside's methods don't just work with kids. In one case, academically deficient adults improved by two academic grade levels after about 18 hours of Morningside-inspired coaching.

The secret sauce that makes these results possible is a combination of two techniques that are generally absent from conventional schools: direct instruction and precision teaching. Direct instruction centers on brief sessions of learning in small steps. Precision teaching comes into play after a direct-instruction session. Here students practice repeatedly using the material they've just learned, accompanied by measurements of their accuracy and speed.

Morningside students don't just learn material, they "overlearn" it to the point of fluency: being able to respond accurately and fast. Nor can they proceed to the next task until they hit this high level of performance. The point of the exercise: Perform at a fluent rate, and you can retain the information for years even without using it regularly.

So what does a Morningside classroom look like? "It is a noisy, active place," says Morningside Principal Joanne Robbins. "Instruction is designed so people will be correct, so you hear a lot of accurate responsing. You also see a lot of partnered work and peer tutoring. Timers go off to mark the start and end of segments, and people give each other feedback after every few minutes, so the whole room is very active."

Don't get the idea that Morningside's approach only works with small groups. "When you peer tutor, you multiply the number of teachers you have," says Robbins. "We carefully teach how to partner and show students how to listen to one another. We can go as high as 50 pupils in a room with tremendous success."

Morningside has been teaching this way since 1980. Its methods have worked not just with the learning disabled, but also with nursing students, college kids, and youths on academic probation. Clearly its techniques are effective and have stood the test of time. So why don't other schools mimic its practices?

"That's a delicate question," admits Robbins. "Part of it may be that people are not familiar with the procedures....We also have a fundamental difference in philosophy [with other educators] that everyone can learn efficiently. And it requires great dedication."

So it is unlikely you'll find Morningside's techniques in other institutions. But you can apply them yourself, says Robbins. Her advice: "Set a goal and collect data about how you're doing. Be a good observer, a good cheerleader, and keep a positive attitude. Though it can get complicated, you can make progress quickly if you set small, attainable goals you can reach in a predictable amount of time."

-- Leland Teschler, Editor

It's Back to School for Morningside Academy

Most people don't think "school bus" when they think South Lake Union, but they should--even though the bus is usually Metro rather than a big, yellow one. Every day during the school year some 80 to 100 children experience success in school at the Morningside Academy located in the heart of the SLU neighborhood.

The school serves children who have not learned to their potential at previous schools. Some children have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or a mild learning disability that has affected their previous school experience. Some gifted children are also part of the Morningside mix.

"Kids who haven't been successful before in school are successful here," explained Dawn Oliver, Admissions Director.

Morningside Academy has been serving elementary through middle school plus ninth grade children for the past 28 years, for the past six years in the SLU neighborhood. Oliver said she expects that as new condominium and apartment homes in SLU become available, more children from the neighborhood will find their way to Morningside. Already some children who live on SLU houseboat homes are students at the school.

Oliver said the school is moving into increased participation in the community. The students attended the kickoff for Lake Union Park and also for the South Lake Union Friends and Neighbors group. Another step SLU is taking into "kid friendliness" is the renewal of Denny Park. "We're in the process of turning it into a good place for kids. There will be a play space just for children," said Oliver.

Morningside Academy is wedged solidly in the SLU neighborhood right next to the Discovery Center and opposite the new Whole Foods Complex. To find out more about Morningside, call Dawn Oliver at (206) 709-9500.

(Reprinted from SLUFAN newsletter, October 1, 2008)

Donor	Item
2B Yoga	2 Private or 1 Group Yoga session
103.7 The Mountain	Mountain Music Lounge Pass
ACME Bowling, Billiards, and Events	Experience ACME Bowling, Billiards
American Dance Institute	One Month Unlimited Dance Classes
Anonymous	Elegant silk devore scarf
Artist and Craftsman Supply	An Artist's Watercolor Set
ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery	Two tickets to a Main Stage Performance
Banya 5	Five Guest Passes to Banya 5
Barbara Snider	Handmade lap quilt by blue ribbon quilter- "Peaches & Cream"
Barbara Snider	Handmade lap quilt by blue ribbon quilter- "Peaches & Cream"
Bellevue Art and Frame	Reeves Mixed Media Art Set
Boatyard Inn	One night in a Studio Suite at The Boatyard Inn
Build a Bear Workshop	$10 gift certificate
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture	4 Museum Passes
Cafe Lago	Dinner for Two at Cafe Lago
CAFE' LAGO	CAFE' LAGO Dinner for 2
Caffe Ladro	Two $25 Gift Cards for Caffe Ladro
Carmilia's	Surprise Bag
City Kitchens, Inc	Cuisinart Stand Mixer- SM-70
Cody Blomberg	Art Item
Cookies by Design	Gift certificate for a 7-cookie bouquet
Cookies by Design	One Seven-Cookie Classic Bouquet
Coyote Central	$100 Gift Certificate toward Coyote Central Art Class for 5th-8th grader
Cynthia Clay and Leo Brodie	One-week vacation in Granada, Nicaragua
Daly's Paint and Decorating	$50 Gift Certificate for merchandise
David Schomer Espresso Vivace	Cappuccino Lesson
Dick's Drive In Restaurants	Dick's Drive In Memory Basket
Dimitriou's Jazz Alley	$50 Gift Certificate to Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
Display and Costume	$50 Gift Certificate for Display and Costume
Diva Espresso	Two Diva Espresso Cards
Duke's Chowder House	Two Lunch / Dinners
Elephant Car Wash	Two Gold Washes
Emerald Downs	A Day at the Races
Erin Hobbs	Wine Rack
Everyday Athlete in Kirkland	Two-week Wetsuit Rental
Family Fun Center	Family Fun Pack for Four
Fifth Avenue Dance Studio	Introduction to Basics of Ballroom, Latin, Swing
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center	A Lab Experience
Frye Art Museum	One-Year Family Frye Membership
Funtasia Family Fun Park	2 fun passes
Galvin Flying Services	Introductory Flight Lesson with Galvin Flying Services
Garage	An Evening at Garage
Gold's Gym of Bothell, Issaquah, Redmond	Six-month membership at Gold's Gym
Grand Central Bakery	Flour Lovers Package
Hellriegel's Foto 1 Inc.	Family Portrait Session
Henry Art Gallery	One Year Henry Art Gallery Family Membership
Holiday Inn Seattle Center	1 night stay at the Holiday Inn Seattle Center
Hoodsport Winery Inc.	Wine Tasting Certificate at Hoodsport Winery
Intiman	2 tickets to a 2009 Intiman Theater production
Intiman theatre	2 Ticket Vouchers for a 2009 Intiman Production
Ivar's and Kidd Valley Restaurants	$20 Gift Card for Ivar's and Kidd Valley Restaurants
Jacqui Cohen, Barbara Coster, Blue Lazarou, and Denise Trainer	May 1st Party for 30
Jennifer Loomis Photography	Professional Photography Package
Jeremy Wilson	Introductory Flight Lesson with Galvin Flying Services
Jim Carrey	Autographed Photo of Jim Carrey
Joevir The Art of Hair	Salon services at Joevir "The Art of Hair"
Julia's Restaurants Broadway, Issaquah, Wallilngford and Bakery	Dinner for Two and 2 Tickets to a Friday Le Faux Show
Kathy's Studio of Dance	One Month of Dance Lessons: Jazz or Tap
Kevin Hellrieqel & Lori Bress	Family Portrait Session
Krispy Kreme	One Dozen Glazed Doughnuts each month for 1 year
Le Gourmand	$50 Le Gourmand Gift Certificate
Liam Voorhees	1 Dozen Fresh Organic Eggs from Morningside Student Liam Voorhees
Lou and Diane Tice	Scholarship to P X 2 Seminar for Youth
Lou and Diane Tice	Scholarship to P X 2 Seminar for Youth
Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe	Breakfast for Two at Phinney Ridge Cafe
Majestic Bay Theatre	4 movie passes
Margaritaville	8x10 Black and with Jimmy Buffet Photo
Maui Jim	Bamboo Maui Jim Classic Sunglasses
Maui Jim	One pair of Hoku Maui Jim Sunglasses
McCormick's Fish House	McCormick's Fish House
Menashe and Sons Jewelers	Stunning Peridot and Amethyst Necklace with Sterling Silver Clasp
Michael Rosenberg	An In Studio Portrait Session
Michael Rosenberg	An In Studio Portrait Session
Micki Lippe	Leaf Pendant
Mini Mountain	One Indoor Ski or Snowboard Lesson
MOHAI Museum of History and Industry	4 MOHAI Guest Passes
Morningside Students and Blue Lazarou	Student Art Project: Canvas Butterflies
Morningside Students and Blue Lazarou, Jacqui Cohen	Student Art Project: Framed Individual Tiles
Morningside Students and Paul Conrad	Student Art Project: Framed Print
Morningside Students and Paul Conrad	Student Art Project: Framed Print
Morningside Students and Paul Conrad	Winners' Circle Student Art Project
Morningside Students and Tiffany Thiele, Paul Conrad	Student Art Project: Clear Glass Butterfly Platterr
Morningside Students and Tiffany Thiele, Paul Conrad	Student Art Project: Clear Glass Butterfly Platter
Morningside Students and Tiffany Thiele, Paul Conrad	Student Art Project: Clear Glass Colored Butterfly Platter
Museum Quality Frame	$100 gift certificate for custom framing
Nicole and Sang Ji	One-week vacation in a condo in Kona
Noble House Hotels and Resorts Edgewater Hotels	Six-Seven Restaurant $100 dinner
NorthWest Outdoor Center	2 Hours of Kayacking for 2
Omega Photo	Wooden Frame for 8X10
Omega Photo	Digital Camera with lessons, and prints
Orvis	$10 Gift Card
Paint The Town	Paint your own set of dishes
Palomino Restaurant/Rotisseria/Bar	$50 Gift Cards (Two $25 Gift Cards)
Pan Pacific Hotel	One night stay in a luxurious, deluxe room at the Pan Pacific
PCC Natural Markets	$25 Gift Card to PCC
Pioneer Farm Museum	Pioneer Farm Museum Family Pass
Ponti Seafood Grill	Dinner for 6 at the Ponti Seafood Grill
Puetz Evergreen Golf Course, Inc.	$20 Merchandise Certificate & $70 Driving Range Punchcard
Quinns Hot Springs	One night stay for up to four Guests
Rebecca Douglas	Portrait session with Rebecca Douglas
Rebecca Douglas	Portrait session with Rebecca Douglas
Remlinger Farms	Country Fair Family Fun Park Tickets for Family of 4
Residence Inn by Marriott-Seattle Downtown/Lake Union	One night stay at Residence Inn, Lake Union
Richard Kinssies & Andrea Mirante	Group wine tasting for 10 people
Richard LaLonde	"Bolero" Fused & slumped glass artwork & Book
Ritz Camera Centers	24" X 36" Enlargement
Roslyn Ann Duffy of Better Living Institute	Parenting Book Set
Roslyn Duffy	Consultation with Parenting Author & Counselor
Seastar	$50 gift certificate
Seattle Art Musem	Admission Pass to Seattle Art Museum for Two
Seattle Gymnastics Academy	Parents' Night Out Punch Card
Seattle International Children's Festival	Family 4-Pack of Tickets to May 12 -16 Event
Seattle International Film Festival	Two tickets to Opening Night of SIFF
Seattle Police Department	Seattle Police Department Ride Along
See's Candies	Two One Lb. Candy Gift Certificates
Sellen Construction	Mariner's BoxTickets and Parking
Sesame Street Workshop	Sesame Street Workshop
Sesame Street Workshop	Big Bird Feather and Photo
Sport Restaurant and Bar	$50 Gift Certificate for Dinner
Stevens Pass	2 Full Day Lift Tickets for the 2008-2009 Season
Stevens Pass	4 Lift Passes to Stevens Pass
StoryBook Theater	6 Admissions to StoryBook Theater's 2009-2010 season
Stuhlberg's	"I Can't Sleep Without My Dog," Kathleen Turner
Sue Jenkins and Lee Redden	Champagne Brunch and Kayak Tour of Lake Union
Sunset Books	Set of Sunset Books
Tamarack Idaho Resort	Two night Stay with Two Rounds of Golf at Tamarack
Taproot Theatre Company	Two tickets to any performance of the 2009 Mainstage Season
Teddy Bear BBQ	BBQ Pit Lessons by Conrad Haskins
Ten Mercer	$50 Gift Certificate to Ten Mercer
The Center for Wooden Boats	Two hours of free rowing and a family membership
The Children's Museum	Family Fun Pack Admission for 4
The Container Store	$25 gift card
The Dr. Phil and Doctors Shows	4 VIP Tickets to the Dr. Phil Show and The Doctors Show
The Hobbs Family	Blooming Champagne Bouquet
The Inn at Cannon Beach	Two-night's deluxe lodging at Cannon Beach
The Keg Steakhouse and Bar	$25 Gift Certificate for The Keg Steakhouse and Bar
The Museum of Flight	4 Admission Passes for The Museum of Flight
The Puyallup Fair	4 Gate Admissions to The Puyallup Fair
The Puyallup Fair	4 Gate Admissions to The Puyallup Fair
The Red Balloon Company	One Balloon Bouquet
The Salon at Kids Club	Girl's Salon Gift Package
The Welland Jordan Family	Exquisite 18K Gold and Beryls Necklace/Earrings Set from H. Stern
The Wine Outlet	Group wine tasting for 10 people
Thoa's Restaurant and Lounge	Gift Voucher
Tiffany Thiele	Afternoon of Glass Making
Tiffany Thiele	Hand Made Glass Marigold Platter and Four Salad Plates by Glass Artist Tiffany Thiele
Tillicum Village	Two adult tickets to Tillicum Village
Tom Douglas Restaurants	Dinner For 2 at the Dahlia Lounge
Tom Douglas Restaurants	Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen Cookbook
Tom's Automotive Service	Automotive Lube oil and Filter service
Trabant Coffee & Chai	Coffee Tasting Certificate for 8
Tutta Bella	Dinner for Two at Tutta Bella
University Book Store	$25 Gift Card for University Book Store
Unexpected Productions	4 tickets to Any Show at the Market Theater
University of Washington Dept. of Intercollegiate Athletics	Autographed Husky Football and 2 home game tickets
Wells Medina Nursery	$50 Gift Certificate
Wells Medina Nursery	$50 Gift Certificate
Western Washington Fair Association	Admission for 4 to the Puyallup Fair
Wheel of Fortune	Wheel of Fortune Adventure Pack
Wing Luke Asian Museum	Four General Admission Passes
Wink Hair Studio	One Haircut
Wolf Haven International	4 Tour Passes to Wolf Haven International
Yuen Lui	Portrait Sitting and Print
YMCA of Greater Seattle and West Seattle & Fauntleroy	Ten Yoga Sessions

Save the Date - Celebrate Morningside Gala Dinner/Auction
Friday, March 6, 2009

Arctic Club Hotel
Northern Lights Dome Room

Enter the room that made the Arctic Club legendary and witness the breathtaking, filtered, natural light and original carved motifs. With two walls of stained glass showcasing exceptional beauty, this is the space for which you've been looking. The Northern Lights Dome Room is renowned for its Rococo gilding, original artistic frescos, ornamental cornices and stained glass dome.

Getting Donations

Interested in helping us get donations for the big event in 2009? Here's what you'll need:

(Forms in .PDF format)

• 2009 Letter for the potential sponsor
• 2009 Sponsorship Form
• 2009 Display Ads Form
• 2009 Comments from parents and alumni about Morningside Academy

• 2009 Procurement Form (This form can be filled out and printed, or saved and transmitted electronically)
  

(Note: all forms are in PDF format. )

• Letter for the potential sponsor
• Procurement Form
• Sponsorship Form
• Display Ads Form
• Comments from parents and alumni about Morningside Academy

September 19, 2008

Dear Parents and/or Guardians,

I am thrilled to write to you today, not just as the Auction Chair, not just as a Morningside parent, but also as a Morningside alumna. I graduated from Morningside some 23 years ago. When my daughter started having trouble in school, I knew just who to call. Now she is thriving and loves learning. I am so thankful to Morningside. Now I have the opportunity to show my gratitude through this year's Auction/Gala.

This is a fun evening celebrating and honoring Morningside Academy, its Founder, Dr. Kent Johnson, its Associate Director, Dr. Joanne Robbins,
and the dedicated teachers and staff that are helping our children grow. Education is their passion and this is our chance to celebrate them.

If you are a new parent, you are most likely rejoicing in your child's development so far. If you are a returning parent, you are just as excited to see the growth your child will have again this year. I encourage you to use this joy and enthusiasm to make this event the best yet. The more money raised, the more children and families will be given a chance to experience Morningside Academy as you are today. It will also help in strengthening the school foundation so that, 23 years from now if needed, other alumni will know whom to call.

I hope you all will join me for good food, good cheer, and good company as we raise our glasses in thanks to a school and community that are close to all of our hearts.

If you have any question big or small, feel free to contact me at celebration@morningsideacademy.org.

Blue Lazarou

September 19, 2008

Dear Morningside Academy Community:

I would like to invite you to participate in procuring for Morningside Academy's largest fundraiser and fun event, the fifth annual Celebrate Morningside Gala Dinner & Auction. Don't miss out on the good feeling of being an active part of the community that supports your child's growth as a human being.

What we hope for is 100% participation at all levels in whatever form that you may have the time, effort, or energy to give. It may be as simple as having a great idea for an item and emailing me or helping put the auction committee in touch with the right person for an imaginative auction item.

For a start I would love it if everyone could brainstorm at the family dinner table ideas about the following:
- Great auction ideas for the large ticket items: ie. A trip to .....
- A really entertaining personality to emcee would be...
- A great raffle item would be ......
- An excellent sponsor for the auction would be....
- A great contact would be ....

Email it to me at: celebration@morningsideacademy.org with "auction" in the subject line.

In the process of making contact with each other, we all will benefit, but most of all we will help the students of Morningside Academy.

Thank you for helping. I look forward to getting to know you all. Join us next month at our new location, Expresso Vivace. We meet the third Friday of the month. See you all Oct. 17, 2008.

Sincerely,
Karen L. Voorhees
Procurement Chair
Email: celebration@morningsideacademy.org

Dear Friend of the Academy,

This year's event was a huge success and its success reflects the effort of a year of planning and hard work undertaken by the entire "family" network, staff and administration of Morningside and the community. For the first time in the history of the event, this Gala became truly the annual event that was not only a signal social event but also a much-needed source of financial support for the school and a new link for alumni. It will supply scholarship funds of $60,000 and $45,000 income for the general fund of the school.

"Celebrate Morningside" has risen to an event of which we can be truly proud. So, for all that you have done or may do to support this effort, we are taken aback and given pause to honor you and your efforts. If you happen to pass some of our "worker bees" who spent many long hours in its preparation, please pass along some kudos. It's a big party to plan with lots of fast moving pieces and though we strive to please all, we are gratified to "pull it off' and have a fun evening while raising a sum of money for our school that truly makes a difference.

Please applaud all our sponsors and donors--an updated list is attached. Give thanks to our Auction Chairs and the committee without whom this event would not have been possible. Thank you goes out to those of you who made purchases at our auction or who attended this wonderful evening.

You are an amazing group, many of whom I have had the pleasure of working with on this fourth annual event. Some key people to recognize are: Kelli Bernhard, for the awesome silent auction and its glorious display, Kathy Randall for the record keeping of all the items, Jacqui Cohen for the first-ever interior decorating, Charlene Souriano for leading the new alumni association, and of course, Fran Reichert, Maria Santiesteban and Tiffany Thiele, our Co-Chairs for managing the event from beginning to end. The list of leaders and volunteers goes on and is listed in the Program.

We raised $105,000, and those funds will help our school, its programs and its scholarship fund. THANK YOU ALL!!

Sincerely,
Dawn Oliver
Director of Development

Special recognition of our 2008 Sponsors and Donors

Born in New York and educated in classical, jazz and Bee Bop. Ernie Bracco has led duo's, trio's and quartets in a variety of local jazz clubs , restaurants and cafe's in New York and New Jersey areas. Following in the style of Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and Joe Pass, Ernie's music evolved into a contemporary sound which is a fusion of jazz and pop. Ernie's unique guitar arrangements and jazz and classical virtuosity allow for a solo piano like expression.The music of Django Rienhart and band named "The Djersey Djang" is another avenue Ernir has recently taken in his develoment & extention of his guitar playing. His music includes standards, Bosa Nova's Blues and some Classical. He also teaches guitar and plans to hold workshops.