A Virtual Reunion for the Madison West Class of '75
Guest post by Dan Mansoor, Madison West Class of 1975
In the COVID-19 era, people are reaching out to family, friends, and neighbors. The Madison West Class of '75 held a brief (and their first-ever) Zoom™ video call on May 6 at 7 PM. Moderated by Dan Mansoor (from Cleveland), current principal Dr. Karen Boran was invited to give a brief update on the school.
Because of modest numbers – about 22 floated in and out during the hour call – everyone had the opportunity to share stories, ask questions, and provide updates. Alumni from the Class of '61 and Class of '80 crashed the party, the latter a critical care physician in New York City who gave us a powerful first-person account from the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. Close battle played out for the "log on" from the farthest distance. Michael Shapiro "voiced in" from the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, and Julie Beatty looked radiant in pajamas from Melbourne, Australia (10 AM). We had two alumni from Montana, two from California, two from Chicago and one from Verona! We also heard from Dr. Boran about the formation of the new Alumni & Friends of West and the immediate philanthropic needs of current students and their families during the coronavirus crisis.
We all looked a lot older than we did in 1975, but mostly due to slow bandwidth! The Class's 45th Reunion this summer is more and more in doubt. But count on another video call and a bigger party in 2021.
Community Teams Up In Support Of Our Schools
Click HERE for the latest on how the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools is responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Madison's public schools are facing an unprecedented challenge in navigating the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. Families look to the school system for not just educational services, but also social services and we hold the well-being, health and safety of everyone in our school district and community as highest priority. Thankfully, our community is pitching in and teaming up to help.
How Can You Lend Your Support?
In light of MMSD school closures and community precautions around COVID-19, and in an effort to provide a quick and easy way for alumni and friends to lend their support, the Foundation has established TWO emergency relief funds. Your gifts to these funds will go directly towards assisting MMSD schools, staff, scholars and their families during this time of high alert and high need.
Please, help with a gift to one or both of these funds:
MMSD Community Resource Fund
This fund will provide immediate and enduring support for MMSD schools, staff, scholars and their families, both now and in the future.
MSCR Community Resource Fund
This Fund is dedicated specifically to supporting the mission, programs and services of Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) during the COVID-19 crisis.
Second Harvest Food Bank is also helping to feed the students and families of MMSD during this time. They could use help with contributions and healthy volunteers to assemble food boxes. If you may be able to assist, please visit their site to learn more.
Because of YOU we are already making a positive impact!
Delivering Academic Materials
The pressing need in March was to get academic materials in the hands of students as schools closed after spring break. We partnered quickly with MMSD to raise $15,000 of the funds necessary to cover costs to produce, package and deliver enrichment materials to 19,000 K-8 scholars throughout the district.
Reliable, Equitable WIFI Connections
As schools remain closed for the year, scholars need reliable, affordable access to the internet for distance learning. Superintendent Jane Belmore has asked us to partner with her to raise $100,000 toward costs to bridge gaps in access. These funds will allow MMSD to purchase hotspots for families in need and place long-range wifi antennae on select school buildings. So far, we have worked together to raise $39,000 toward this goal.
See our community’s gracious response, in this video:
In a time that is challenging for our community and its nonprofit organizations, it is the generous support of our responsive funds by donors like YOU that allows us to help. Because of YOU, we are able to better connect our scholars across Madison and reduce obstacles to distance learning. Thank you for your support – let’s keep working together to meet these goals!
Why Should You Stay Involved with Your Alma Mater?
If you're like most people, you may not have the tightest connection with your high school alma mater. It's typical for graduates to go out into the world, heading off to college, trade school, the workforce or the armed forces. It’s the beginning of adult life.
As time goes on, we tend to lose a strong sense of connection with the schools we attended in our formative years. But more than any yearbook, class ring or Facebook group, staying engaged and involved with your alma mater is a great way to keep that connection—and even help out current students in meaningful ways.
Even if you are someone who put considerable distance between your high school and your current life, you can still stay involved. And, a good place to start is by joining Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network.
New Network Offers a Place for Alumni and Supporters to Reconnect and Contribute
Those who have attended Madison's public schools know that our school community is a special place. It means something to have graduated from East, West, Memorial, La Follette, Shabazz, Capital High or Central.
As an alum, you can make a big impact on the lives of current Madison public schools students by giving your time, talents or treasure. We need your help to ensure a bright future for the next generation of learners.
That is why the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools is so excited to launch the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network in mid-2020. This network is a new community that will allow our alumni to stay up-to-date with exciting news and find meaningful ways to engage and support students. Those that join the network will have regular access to news, volunteer opportunities, special events and an alumni directory of active users.
Madison public schools alumni, MMSD employees, supporters and friends of the District are encouraged to join the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network to receive monthly emails with the latest news on District and Foundation initiatives and events, student success stories, and alumni profiles. There is also the ability for those that join to add their names to the online directory, created to enable our alumni community to more easily connect with one another.
This community will empower you to stay in touch with old friends, classmates or colleagues, learn about how you can help students in those halls to today and get regular updates on all the exciting things happening in Madison's public schools. We ask that you engage in this network and help ensure a lasting legacy for Madison's public schools and the students it serves—both now and in the future. We'll share more about how you can do just that in the weeks and months to come!
We also invite you to take an interest survey to provide feedback on the types of information that is valued within the Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network. We are excited to get started and look forward to growing our relationship with all who are invested in the continued success of our schools, students and community.
The Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network is being launched by the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools, the go-to partner to the Madison Metropolitan School District, connecting the community in support of our public schools. Since its founding in 2001, the Foundation has given over $20 million back to Madison's public schools through endowments, programs, and funding of novel school-based initiatives.