Community Emergency Education Fund

Community letter - May 16, 2020

Dear Friend of SRS,

The Staculty and I send our best regards from Crossbow Court and from our homes during Scorpion School. We miss your children and the joy they bring us with their chatter and laughter. Our buildings are strangely empty without them, and this void serves as a daily reminder that Sage Ridge is more than buildings or books, more even than a school.

It is for this reason that I reach out to you. We are grateful to all of you who have viewed our video introducing our Community Emergency Education Fund and to those of you who have already given generously. Because of the generosity of one of our current Sage Ridge families, we are reminded now more than ever of the power of Community and that “America is strongest when families take care of each other and walk with one another through need and loss.” (James Lankford).

For those of you who have not had a chance to view the video, I write to share with you that we have been offered a $30,000 challenge grant to establish what we are calling the Community Emergency Education Fund. The grant, which has been offered on a 1-to-2 ratio, means that for every two dollars contributed through June 30, 2020, the challenge grant will add a third up to its $30,000 limit. If we are able to match this grant, it will provide $90,000 to help Sage Ridge families who are in need with a range of financial obligations: tuition, books, laptops, uniforms, the student activity fee, and similar expenses.

We know that some of our families are facing significant hardships, and the Community Emergency Education Fund has been created to be a temporary bridge to support those families who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. It will, indeed, help us walk through need and loss together and ensure that our students and our Community are not separated during the 2020-2021 school year. The Community Emergency Education Fund is a restricted fund, and the identities of those who request help will be held in the strictest confidence.

We understand that at times like this we are all being asked to help, but, as you and your family make decisions on how you may be able to help, we ask for your support. Every gift of any amount is meaningful and will be increased by the match. The video is posted on the Sage Ridge website with a form through which you may donate or you may send a check directly to the school with a memo that it is for the Community Emergency Education Fund (CEEF).

We have a lot to be proud of because Scorpion School has set the standard for distance learning in Northern Nevada, but we are even more gratified by the response we have already received to our appeal for the Community Emergency Education Fund. We have one family who, through their kindness and devotion to Sage Ridge, have demonstrated their Scorpion Pride and recognition for what Sage Ridge has provided them during this difficult time. Please join us in honoring their commitment to our Community by donating to the Community Emergency Education Fund.

We are a Community, and despite the current quarantine, our Community remains strong. We hope that the Community Emergency Education Fund will help keep our community strong so that we can continue to learn and grow together.

With gratitude,

Tobin S. Bechtel
Head of School