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It is hard to believe that another school year has come to an end. The end of the year is such an exciting time for all of us. As students complete end-of-year assessments, we get to see the amazing progress that they have made since entering YES Reading. We get to read the heartfelt thank you notes that students write to their tutors. We get to hear children who couldn’t read at the beginning of the school year talk about all the books that they are planning to read over the summer.
And we get to reflect on the progress that YES Reading has made in reaching and supporting a growing number of students, schools, and communities. In the last two years, we have successfully expanded from operating one program on a single school campus to partnering with four school sites. By the fall of 2006, we will be running programs at six school sites across the Peninsula and South Bay.
During this expansion, we have continued to focus on program quality - adding components to our curriculum to better support our students, increasing our efforts to invest parents and families in our programs, and working to ensure that our communication and coordination with teachers is meaningful and effective. Each week, YES Reading supports hundreds of children who might otherwise never have an opportunity for individual reading attention. Our program is changing these children’s lives by giving them the skills and the confidence they need to open endless doors of opportunity.
None of YES Reading’s growth or continued success would be possible without the unwavering dedication and commitment of our tutors. Each time we launch a program in a new community, we are somewhat uncertain as to how many volunteers will emerge. And each time, we are amazed the number of people who join us as tutors and invest time and energy in our students and their potential to achieve.
Our continued expansion also would not be possible without the generous financial support of many individuals, foundations, and corporations. We are so grateful for the continued support of many local organizations and corporations, including Cisco, SAP, eBay’s Champion a Charity Program, the San Francisco Foundation, and the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund. We are also thrilled to acknowledge several organizations funding YES Reading for the first time, including the Fleishhacker Foundation, the Leslie Family Foundation, the Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula, and the Nektar Employee Foundation.
YES Reading is a program that thrives because of the commitment and support of our community. We look forward to continue to work with all of you to inspire our kids to greatness!
Warmly,
Sarah Almy
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