TPSF 2016-2017 Board and Officers

Who is ready for another incredible school year?   We are #TPSFfullycommitted! 

Our board members are planning and implementing all sorts of ideas.  Stay tuned for exciting events and ways to contribute. If you can help us help our schools, please contact any of us on the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation board.  

Board and Officers for 2016-2017

President: Lucas Foster

Vice President: Brandi Barnett

Secretary: Kim Copeland

Treasurer: Lisa Czlonka

Breanna Batey

Barbara Fuller

Amber George

Janine Hembree

Loretta Keener

Suzanne Lovell

Libby Rogers

Mesha Sanchez

Carrie Scearce

Allan Scroggins

Ashley Talburt

Kin Thompson

Thank you to 2015-2016 TPSF President Barbara Fuller! We had an amazing year. Barbara will continue to serve Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation this year as our Public Relations Chair. Woohoo!

Give a special thanks to Barbara Fuller when you see her around town, please!

If you'd like to know more about TPSF and/or donate, please go to our website at www.tahlequahpublicschoolsfoundation.org. 

Uncorked 2016: Bigger and Better Than Ever!

Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation held its annual Uncorked event at the Armory Municipal Center on May 5, 2016. It was a successful and fun evening recognizing our grant recipients, celebrating our schools and kicking off the fundraising campaign for 2016-2017 school year.

a few of the TPS employees we celebrated at TPSF Uncorked

TPSF treasurer Lisa Czlonka was thrilled with this year’s event. “We did amazing!  Uncorked raised over $10,000. Our generous community recognizes the value of educators and the importance of supporting our schools during this time of financial cutbacks.”

2016 is the sixth year for the Uncorked event and the fourth location.  Last year the organization sold a total of 78 tickets. This year they presold 191. 
Do we need a larger venue?

“You need to go bigger next year,” preschool teacher Angie Aldridge said. “The Sequoyah bunch had fun. We’ll be back.”

Czlonka said, “I spoke with the teachers and one told me she’d lost her voice and felt like she’d been at a concert because it was so much fun.”

Sequoyah paraprofessional Angela Sherron agreed.  “I loved the variety of the auction baskets. Also, I felt like Tahlequah came out and supported us. There were a lot of TPS employees as well as community members.”

Sommelier Heather Ezell and Dirk Van Veen of Mary's Liquor scout wine selections

“We had sommelier Heather Ezell this year, which added to the excitement for our foodies,” PR director Brandi Barnett said. “She was one of several contributing factors that aided in selling tickets and selling out of wine that night.”

Board member Kim Copeland had an additional theory to the night’s success. “The event had a great coordinator which brought in substantial funds.”

“When you have a foundation you truly believe in, it’s not hard to ask people to support it,” said Mesha Sanchez, event chair. “I’m so proud of our community for seeing the value of Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation and completely going above and beyond. The crowd this year was not in it to make a deal. Our donors stepped up because we stepped up.”

Local businesses and eateries donated thousands of dollars worth of auction items, door prizes, and food.  Napoli’s, Rib Crib, and The Branch donated to the general admission side while Mary’s Liquor and Reasor’s provided the wine and food pairings.

a few photos of the popular VIP area with the beverage and food pairings

The money raised by Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation is awarded to teachers in the form of grants. In January, the TPSF Prize Patrol made its rounds to the schools and announced recipients. They included a hands-on science lab in the preschool, a summer arts academy in which 3^rd -8^th graders will perform Seussical the Musical, and robotics instruction at the high school level.  Teachers can submit online now for next year.

TPSF donated almost $30,000 for the 2015-2016 school year. 10 % of those funds came directly from TPS employees who donated each month from their paychecks. TPSF hopes to give more money in grants this year, but that depends on donations.

American Fidelity, Reasor’s and Mary’s Liquor were 2015-2016 TPSF partners and the foundation is seeking partners for this next school year starting at the $5,000 and $10,000 levels. 

“Of course, any donation is appreciated at any time,” said Barnett. “Every penny adds change.”

Make your tax-deductible donation today. Learn more by going to www.tahlequahpublicschoolsfoundation.org, follow the blog at tpsfoundation.blogspot.com, or like Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation on Facebook. Donate online or mail donations to TPSF, 1 Plaza South, PMB #276, Tahlequah, OK 74464.  You can also select TPSF as your charity on smile.amazon.com, and a percentage of your purchase will be donated.

How do I win those prizes?

If you've followed us on our Facebook event Uncorked 2016, you've seen all sorts of posts about the fabulous donated items you can win at #TPSFuncorked.

But how do you win them?

Some will be silent auction items. Win them the  good, old-fashioned way by out-bidding someone else on a bid sheet. That's right. Go ahead and pretend to be nonchalantly standing nearby while you secretly watch that sheet like a hawk and out-bid anyone who tries to outbid you.  It's all in good fun, and the money will benefit Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation.

Some of those fabulous prizes will be door prizes. Since this is a celebration of schools, all TPS employees will receive one door prize ticket.  Everyone else can purchase one for $5. If you see something  you like, simply place your ticket in the little bucket beside it for your chance to win.  Don't like those odds?  No problem!  We will sell you more tickets! $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20.  Remember, it's all for a good cause. 

And we have fabulous prizes.  

So, bring your sense of fun and your wallet. We take cash, check or credit cards.

But even if you don't have money to spare, please drop by to thank the school employees who are for giving so much every day.  Unless you're in the VIP Uncorked area (tickets at the door are $30 each), you have free general admission to enjoy the food donated by Rib Crib, Napoli's, Reasor's and The Branch--and thank a TPS employee.

School Employees are Our Unsung Heroes

They sweep the floors.

They dish out food.

They answer phones.

They teach our children.

They lose sleep thinking of how to make life better for kids who can't do it themselves.

Thank you to the custodians, the crossing guards, the police officers, the cafeteria workers, the receptionists, the paras, the administrators and teachers who believe in our kids.

They believe in our foundation, too.

10% of the money we donated to this year's grant recipients was donated from Tahlequah Public Schools employees, who participated in payroll deduction.

They believe in us enough to trust us to put their hard earned money where it belongs.

Thank you.

If you believe in us, too, please donate.

Mail checks to:

Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation

1 Plaza South, PMB #276

Tahlequah, OK 74464

or click here to donate online

or use Amazon Smiles when you order online and check Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation as your charity and we will automatically get a donation

or join us this Thursday, May 5, 2016 at the armory from 7-9 to celebrate all who work in our schools.

Celebration of Schools on May 5, 2016

And we appreciate our administrators and support staff, too. Tahlequah Public Schools wouldn't be the same without you.

Celebration of Schools: Uncorked 2016 is a time to say "thank you" to all the people who answered the call to help educate our community's children.

Please join Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation this Thursday (Cinco de Mayo!) from 7-9 at the Armory.  Meet this year's grant recipients--and watch a video featuring their coolness--and thank all the other school personnel who make TPS great.

If you work for the schools, you get a free door prize/raffle ticket. If you're a 2015-2016 grant recipient, you get free access to the VIP Uncorked room. So, teachers, administrators, and support staff, bring a friend who doesn't work for the schools.  Have them buy you more door prize tickets.  Or an auction item.  You deserve it.

Celebrate Schools at #TPSFuncorked on Thursday, May 5, 2016

We are celebrating our schools on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at the Armory Municipal Building in Tahlequah from 7-9 PM.

What should you expect?

Uncorked celebrates the grant recipients from 2015-2016 school year and kicks off our fundraising for next year's grants.  So, please bring your checkbook, your piggy banks, and your credit cards.  We want to help our schools, and our teachers know what they need. Help us give it to them!

Behind door #1 is General Admission: Join us for tasty treats from local restaurants Napoli's, Rib Crib, The Branch and Reasor's. Distract your young ones with our special kid-friendly area. Enjoy music from our middle school choir.  Purchase door prize tickets for $5 each or 5 tickets for $20.  Bid on silent auction items donated by our amazing local businesses. Thank school employees for making our community better and smarter.

ALSO,

Behind door #2 is Uncorked: Join us for the "uncorked" aspect of our event.  Advanced tickets are available for $20 at Celeste Looney Insurance, TRA Photography, Health First Chiropractic, and Mary's Liquor. Tickets are $30 at the door. What do you get for your ticket?  Local sommelier Heather Ezell has paired tasty treats from Reasor's with delicious wine and beer from Mary's Liquor. You'll also get two door prize tickets, and the first 100 get a commemorative wine glass. Heather will be around all night to answer your questions about everything from dark beer to picnic bubblies. (You might even ask her about which wine is best with paddle board yoga because she is the owner of Hang Zen!) She will give special talks at 7:15 and 8:00.

PLUS,

These super-cool tumblers will be available for $50. Be the first to get yours at #TPSFuncorked.

Drink a cool or warm beverage in style and support of public education.

If you can't make it that evening for whatever reason--like you'd rather sit in your pajamas at home--we understand. Please consider donating online. Just click here to go to our website and click on the "donate" button.  Thanks!

Uncorked 2016: It's coming!

Uncorked 2016 promises to be another fabulous celebration of our schools.  Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation welcomes the community on Thursday, May 5, 2016, from 7-9 at the Armory Municipal Building.

Free admission allows the opportunity for everyone who would like to participate. Enjoy the entertainment from our middle school show choir, congratulate the TPSF grant recipients, bid on our silent auction items, purchase extra door prize tickets--because you know you'll want to--and nosh on snacks from our local restaurants. Additional door prize tickets will be available: one for $5 or five for $20.

The wine and beer pairing area will be extra special this year thanks to our very own sommelier Heather Ezell. (You may also know her as the owner of Hang Zen yoga.) Not only has she hand-selected the wines and food pairings, but she will offer several classes throughout the night discussing how to pair the wines and beers with the food donated from Reasor's. Also, she will be available for questions throughout the evening, so take advantage of her expertise. Once again, Mary's Liquor is donating all wine for the evening and will have extra for sale--proceeds go to TPSF. Tickets are available for $20 in advance at Mary's Liquor, Celeste Looney Insurance, Health First Chiropractic, and TRA Photography.  They will be $30 at the door. The first 100 tickets receive a commemorative wine glass.

Please help us publicize Uncorked 2016 that kicks off our fundraising campaign for the 2016-2017 school year and celebrates the recipients from the current year. Go ahead and invite your friends to our event through Facebook. For all social media, use #TPSFuncorked.

As always, donations are welcome. Simply click here to give online.