TPSF Honors Teachers and Kicks Off Donor Campaign

President Lucas Foster and board member Brandi Barnett welcomed the opportunity to speak to teachers before school began.

"I believe in public education. I believe in you,” Brandi Barnett said. “And those of us at Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation believe you know what you’re doing.”

Foster presented last year’s Teachers of the Year with plaques to put on their classroom doors.

An example of one of the Teacher of the Year plaques

The two also thanked teachers and staff for the over $2000 they contributed to the foundation during the 2013-2014 school year by way of payroll deductions…and asked for them to do it again.  

Tahlequah educators, who already give so much of their own money to their own classrooms, inspired the foundation to start their first annual Donor Drive this September.   

The goal is to invite every citizen to donate to making a difference in public education. No donation is too small—or large. 

Donate online at www.tahlequahpublicschoolsfoundation.org 

Mail donations

Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation 

1 Plaza South, PMB #276

Tahlequah, Ok 74464

Will you join TPSF and Tahlequah Public Schools in lighting the path towards excellence? Please donate today.

Sneak Peak at Wines and Beer for Uncorked 2014

Ready to taste Uncorked 2014?

Join the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation

 at the Spider Gallery (215 South Muskogee Avenue) on 

Thursday, February 13, 2014.  

Wines and glasses will be available for purchase so you can take home your favorites!

Acrobat Pinot Gris
·       Vintage:  2012
·       Wine Spectator Score:  85
·       Origin:  Oregon
·       Description:  Light and tangy, with tangerine-accented pear flavors on a delicate frame.


Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay
·       Vintage:  2012
·       Wine Spectator Score:  89
·       Origin:  Washington
·       Desciption:  Bright and lively, with juicy pear and grapefruit flavors on a sleek frame, finishing with refreshing acidity and a polished texture.
·       

A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir
·       Vintage:  2011
·       Wine Spectator Score:  90
·       Origin:  Oregon
·       Description:  This sleek red is tightly packed, with delicate layers of cherry, tobacco and cocoa flavors that mingle against refined tannins, persisting pleasantly on the light-stepping finish.


Marqués de Cáceres
·       Vintage:  2012
·       Wine Spectator Score:  85
·       Origin:  Spain
·       Description:  Fresh flavors of cherry and raspberry enliven this broad, juicy rosé. Remains focused through the finish, with notes of herb and spice.


Kung Fu Girl Riesling                                                                                                          
·       Vintage:  2012
·       Wine Spectator Score:  90
·       Origin:  Washington
·       Description:  Lovely, expressive, bright and vibrant, with apple, lime and citrus blossom flavors, persisting enticingly as the off-dry finish lingers against natural acidity.

Mia Dolcea Moscato D’Asti
·       Vintage:  2011
·       Origin:  Italy
·       Description:  Soft, sweet and luscious with flavors of pineapple, fresh apricot and honey.


Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon
·       Vintage: 2010
·       Wine Spectator Score: 89
·       Origin: Washington
·       Description: Open-textured, velvety and appealing for the rhubarb pie-accented currant and floral flavors, lingering on the expressive finish against fine tannins.


 Lost Coast Brewery; Downtown Brown
·       Beer Advocate Score: 83
·       Origin: California
·       Description:
o   Appearance: Pours dark reddish brown with red-orange highlights when backlit. A thin white head with tight bubbles quickly dissipates to a thick collar of lace.
o   Nose: Chocolate covered nuts, roasted malts, and toffee with sweet hints of blackberry and cherry.
o   Taste: Roasted malts up front with flavors of maple, caramel, and nuts. The berry flavors come through mid-palate with a touch of brown sugar and red apples. A mild hop presence provides balance throughout the beer. The finish is sweet with caramel, pecan and dryness that lingers on the palate.



Korbel Brut
·       Vintage: No Vintage
·       Origin: California
·       Description: Lively aromas of citrus and cinnamon roll lead to crisp flavors of apple, tropical fruit and spiced nuts in this fun bubbly.




 

Spider Gallery and Mary's Liquor Host 5th Annual Uncorked! Fundraiser for Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation

The Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation provides grants for teachers where other funding is unavailable.  Donations fund these grants. For the past several years, our main fundraisers have been the Glow Golf Tournament and our wine and cheese event Uncorked.  The foundation is also the grateful recipient of generous donations from people just like you.

Join us for Uncorked 2014!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

President Kin Thompson invites you to join us!

Josh Reasor has a reputation for planning a fabulous wine and cheese tasting each year. He always has surprises up his sleeve. Whether it's a hot, new location or a fresh twist on the event, attendees are guaranteed a different experience. Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation is thrilled to announce the location of Uncorked 2014 is at the Spider Gallery at 215 South Muskogee (between Southern Bling and A Bloom).  

Here's a line up of the fantastic offerings for Uncorked 2014!

Tastings

• variety of finger foods
• 1 champagne
• 3 white wines
• 3 red wines
• 1 beer
• a separate tasting room for beer (additional fee) *new this year!

Experiences

• peruse the art gallery
• meet with artists 
• congratulate Tahlequah Public School Foundation's grant recipients
• celebrate what is going right in public education

Take-Away

• bid on a silent auction item
• buy a bottle of your favorite wine from Mary's Liquor to enjoy at home (or as a Valentine!)
• invest in a work of art

Allen Scroggins and Jenine Hembree enjoy the art on display at the Spider Gallery

Donna Tinnin, Jenine Hembree, and Kin Thompson map out the wine stations 

Thank you to Mary's Liquor and Cherokee Nation for making this possible. Also, thank you to our local merchants who are donating auction baskets (valued at $50 or more) for our event.

Tickets are on sale now! Buy your advanced tickets at the TPS Board of Education, any school site, Mary's Liquor, Health First Chiropractic, Celeste Looney Insurance, The Branch, Excel Therapy, Bancfirst (main location).  $25/ person or $40/ couple  An additional $20 provides access to the special beer tasting room.

Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation consists of volunteers trying to help local schools. So...if you can help us, let us know!

Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation's Prize Patrol Visits Schools

The Prize Patrol delivered good news to every school this morning.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation so that we could award over $28,000 in grants to fund the dreams our teachers have for their classrooms and students.

We visited morning assemblies and dropped by classrooms.

Mrs. Freise received her grant for iPads to help Speech Language Therapy in all schools

One administrator even held the teachers in a room under false pretenses for our surprise!

Congratulations, teachers!

Thanks for all you do.

Vicky Bangle, TMS

Amelia Brown, THS

Tiffany Cacy, Sequoyah

Stu Fanning, Central

Emily Freise, all sites

Lezlie Gilbert, Heritage

Greg Hall, TMS

Russell Hudgens, TMS

Marketta Johnson, Central

Deena Jones, Greenwood

Nikki Molloy, Greenwood

Lori Robertson, Cherokee

Lisa Vader, TMS

Gabriela Veith, THS

Charlotte Wood, Central

Nita Wright, Cherokee

Our teachers have big dreams for their students. Come meet these passionate educators at the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation's 5th annual wine and cheese fundraiser and congratulate them in person.

Fifth Annual Uncorked is Thursday, February 13

Tickets on sale now for our 5th annual Uncorked! fundraiser

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Join us as we celebrate giving local schools over $28,000 in grants.

$25/ person or $40/couple gets you in the door of the lovely Spider Gallery where you can sample wines, beer, and champagne as well as view the gallery and visit with the artists.

An additional $20 provides access to the private beer tasting room. *new this year!*

Get your tickets at the Tahlequah Public Schools Board of Education, school sites, Health First Chiropractic, Celeste Looney Insurance, Mary's Liquor, The Branch, Excel Therapy, and Bancfirst (main location)...or buy tickets at the door.

Grant Writing Tips for Teachers 2013

Live action shot this afternoon of the secondary teachers ready for in-service

 
Hey, teachers! Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation wants to make your vision for the classroom a reality. Here are some tips that foundation members Barbara Allen and Brandi Barnett shared today with prospective recipients to help them apply for grants:

Follow instructions. Break down each section and answer everything. We don't need the writing to flow like Shakespeare, but we do need all of the facts.

Keep in mind who we are.  Read our website.  Read our mission statement and history.  It’s not long.  In brief, “The Foundation does not replace funds for education. Rather its goals are to nourish excellence and help provide a broader range of educational experiences for our students.”

Stay in our wheelhouse.  If funding is supplied elsewhere, we generally say no.  We’d love to say yes to every applicant, but we currently don’t have the funding. Likewise, even if we are as passionate about the proposal as the educator, but the proposal fits outside of our mission, then we do not fund it. For example, we do not fund furniture or trips.

Research works in your favor.  If you request a large chunk of cash, we prefer to know there is research that backs up the impact it will have on the students.  Most of the applicants that get an automatic approval are the ones that follow directions and have educational research supporting their claims. If we feel that thought has been put into the proposal, then we trust thought will be applied to the process.

Include a budget.  Many items require batteries or chargers, covers, stands, etc.  Make sure you include all of the supplemental items necessary. Many applicants overlook shipping and handling. 

A picture is worth a thousand words.Your application is more attractive if you submit a photo of the requested item.  This act helps the committee better understand the item(s) requested.

Be creative!  We want to “provide a broader range of educational experiences for our students.” We love when teachers approach the classroom in a fresh and exciting way.  Get your research together. Make your plan.  Give us your idea. We might just say yes.

Don't miss the deadline.  Complete the form online and submit. Easy as that. 

We are so excited to see the inspired grant submissions this year. Keep up the good work, Tahlequah! 

Thank you to our Glow Golf sponsors and teams!

We'd like to give a big Tahlequah thank you 

to our Glow Golf sponsors and teams. 

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Gold
Armstrong Bank
Arvest Bank
Bancfirst 
The Branch/Twig
Cherokee Nation Business
DIS
Nabholz 
Rotary Club 
Stuteville Ford
Tahelquah City Hospital
Tahlequah Lumber
Wilcox & McGrath

Silver
American Fidelity
Crafton Toll 
Excel Therapy 
Love Bottling (beverage sponsor)
Mary's Liquor (beverage sponsor)
Midwest Bus Sales
NeoHealth 
Northeastern State University
Reasor's (dinner sponsor)
Robert Webb Dentistry
Ross Transportation
Service King (Ray Nickerson)
Wright Realty (Patti and Randy Hale)

Teams
Adam Reasor
Dirk Van Deen 
Health First Chiropractic 
JD Carey
Tahlequah Public Schools

Thank you for supporting the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation!