Jewish Day School - Chabad Hebrew Academy

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It is sure to be a night to remember. The students are working on their art projects for the live auction.
Our entertainment is a world-renown magician John "the ace" Palmer who has been seen on "Regis and Kathy Lee" and "The Tonight Show"
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Letter from the Head

The Winter Gala
Where Does the Money Go?

The Winter Gala is just around the corner and people are asking, “Why is the Winter Gala so expensive?” and “How is the money that we earn at the Gala going to be spent?” These questions were also asked before last year’s Gala. In response, I wrote an article about the budget process at Chabad Hebrew Academy. The following is an excerpt.

The financial management of the school starts with the development of a budget. At about this time of the year, teachers are given “budget request” forms for the 2008-2009 academic year. They are asked to order exactly what they will need to teach effectively during the upcoming year, no more, no less. The teachers’ budget requests pass through the Directors, where cuts are invariably made, and move on to the Head of School.

The Head must continue to build the budget by taking into consideration all of the School’s expenses. These include such items as salaries and benefits (for teachers, administrators, and other staff), school maintenance, transportation, staff development, publicity and marketing, financial aid to families, and many other costs that are common to schools.

Once the “expense side” of the budget is formulated, the Head speculates what the various sources of income will be. These include monies earned through fundraising events, individual contributions from our donors, foundation grants and, most importantly, tuition. In most schools, the greatest amount comes from tuition. This is true for our Academy. We are called a “tuition driven” school.

Because we want to keep tuition as low as possible, we operate on a very tight budget. One of the most important parts of the budget is the “Annual Fund.” The Annual Fund consists of donations to the school of any amount from $5.00 to $5,000 or more. It also includes earnings from such fundraising activities as selling challah, the Sally Foster gift wrap sale, the Scholastic book fair, and the Winter Gala.

The Annual Fund money is put toward the operation of the school during the fiscal year in which it is collected. The more money earned, the more we can buy for our school that tuition can’t afford. Last year, we raised $32,000 at the June Gala. The profits helped us purchase athletic equipment and they supported the hiring of an elementary music teacher. This year, our gala money will help to pay for the new school bus and the increase from part time to full time for our Director of Technology.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Since the day after last year’s Gala, our parents have been working very hard to make this year’s event the most spectacular ever. They have done an amazing job arranging for great food, great entertainment, and great fun! All that is missing is YOU! Please come to the Gala and enjoy! Bring your friends. You will truly enjoy yourselves, and you will take pride in the fact that you are supporting so many great additions to our school life!

I truly look forward to seeing you on December 2, and many thanks to all of you for everything you do to support our school!

Sincerely,

Dr. Linda Kelley
Head of School

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CHILDCARE OPTIONS FOR DECEMBER 2
Where: My Kids Clubhouse-Poway
When: 4:00 PM -11:00 PM
Contact: Stephanie at (858) 668-2838
Who: Children 2-8 years old (no potty training needed) Children 12 years and older can be helpers (no charge)
Cost: $30 first child, $20 second child....
Dinner not included--snacks available