A critical component of every successful independent school is a strong community of supporters. Support comes in many forms, from volunteering, being an ambassador for Crescent through your words and actions, and of course, financial donations.
Annual Giving Campaign
Crescent’s Annual Campaign is our community’s opportunity to make a direct impact at Crescent! All donations support our Scholarship Fund and make an exceptional Montessori education an option for more families in Sonoma.The 2017-2018 school year Annual Campaign begins this spring in March!
Crescent Moon Gala
Every other year, Crescent holds the Crescent Moon Gala, an event to reconnect and build our Crescent community, while supporting our Sliding Scale Tuition Fund.
Beginning in 2017, Crescent dedicated all Annual Campaign and Gala funds raised to support sour Sliding Scale Tuition Fund. Since 2016, our supporters and advocates have raised over $50,000 to offer sliding scale tuition to families at Crescent.
Through our celebration, we strengthen our community and fortify our school. This special event brings our extended community together to spend the evening in support of Crescent Montessori School!
We will celebrate Crescent’s 25th anniversary together in 2020!
Pancake Breakfast
One of our most beloved traditions, the annual Pancake Breakfast, simply can’t be beat! This wonderful event, held at the Sonoma Community Center, with our trusted pancake chefs and friends, is a fun way to come together as a community.The 2017 Pancake Breakfast continued this scrumptious tradition. Together, we enjoyed friendship, our community and a delicious meal, all while raising over $2,300 for a new school sign.
Crescent Gives Back
The Crescent community is healthy and vibrant thanks to the hours of service our dedicated volunteers commit each year. From washing the Primary laundry to tech support, painting classrooms to marketing services, our volunteers can truly do it all! We have a variety of ways our community participates in volunteerism and giving back.
Crescent Montessori is lucky to have a committed community of active supporters and ambassadors. In their example, and in the Montessori tradition, we endeavor to be of use and good citizens in our greater Sonoma community.
500 Books
2018 Initiative
In January 2018, inspired by similar projects nationwide, Crescent Montessori School undertook our second annual 500 Books initiative. Crescent families made donations of like-new books and funds to purchase new books. Students, staff and parents worked together to organize and deliver books to five community partners in Sonoma, including the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center and La Luz. The books were delivered in February to great enthusiasm from community partners. One partner shared: “I wish you could see the childrens’ faces light up when they get to choose a book to take home!” Crescent is excited to give 500 more books to children in Sonoma next year!
Why 500 Books?
Crescent created 500 Books because the achievement gap between children who are read to in their homes from birth to age five, versus those who are not, is nearly insurmountable. Crescent families deeply value the benefits of reading to young children and we endeavor to make this an option for more families in Sonoma. Through the simple act of giving a book to a child, we can add our strength to the critically important cause of early childhood literacy and lifetime achievement.
Crescent’s Head of School Karin Niehoff says of the program, “500 Books is one small way Crescent walks the walk when it comes to valuing early childhood education, childhood literacy and equity in our community. Through the simple act of giving a book to a child, we add our strength to the critically important issue of early childhood literacy.”
2019 Initiative
In late 2018, Crescent will begin preparations for the upcoming 500 Books initiative. If you would like to volunteer, donate funds for books, or donate new or like-new books, please email us at dsilvi@crescentmontessori.com.
Similarly, if you are interested in being a community partner and distributing books to children under 5 in Sonoma, please email us at dsilvi@crescentmontessori.com.
Helping Hands
Helping Hands is a central index of our ongoing school project list and requests for donations of supplies or materials, as well as event sign-ups.- Anybody going to IKEA? The Seniors need 12 clocks ($0.99 each) and a square wooden table 29 inches (standard size).
- The Junior Elementary students had fun playing giant Jenga at Vacaville’s Imagine That! yesterday, and with some parent help we could create our own for the play yard. We would need six 2-ft x 4-ft x 8-ft pine boards to make 54 10 1/2-inch pieces. If a parent volunteer could acquire and cut the pieces, our students would do the sanding as a practical life activity until the set is ready for use. (A big bonus would be a crate that can hold all the blocks easily).
