Schools

Beach Capital Campaign Aims to Raise $90,000

Beach Elementary School parents hope for donations by May 1 to restore the school's garden and improve its theater

parents are hoping to raise $90,000 by May 1, says Jonathan Davis, a coordinator of the school's current capital campaign.

Then they will aim at a second goal – completing improvements to the school's grounds and theater before Beach re-opens in Piedmont in August.

Beach's permanent site at 100 Lake Ave. is currently undergoing a seismic retrofit financed by the 's Seismic Safety Bond Measure. Meanwhile, Beach students are attending school ("Beach by the Bay") at an Emeryville site this year.

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The capital campaign will pay for projects not covered by bond measure monies, including replacement of the garden destroyed during the retrofit contruction, Davis said.

The capital campaign kicked off in February with support from the Capital Campaign Committee, the Beach Parents Organization (BPO) and the Beach Dad's Club. Donors will have their names inscribed on tiles that will be permanently installed near the school's Lake Avenue entrance, Davis said.

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Donors may choose from several levels: $250-$999; $1,000-$2,499; $2,500-$4,999; and $5,000 and above. Contributions may be made at www.beachcapitalcampaign.eventbrite.com. Information on donating is also available on the parents' club website, beachparents.wordpress.com.

In the near future, community members can expect calls from a phone bank asking for donations.

"Our goal is 100 percent participation from Beach families, at any level," Davis said. "The key for this campaign is for everyone to feel they contributed and were a part of it."

The wall of tiles will let donors return to the school years in the future and say, "We were here when this happened," he said.

Where the Money Will Go

Restoration of and improvements to the school grounds are a main focus of the campaign, Davis said. That will include planting trees and shrubs, restoring the school's edible garden (used as part of Beach curriculum) and upgrading the area where students eat lunch. Playground improvements and umbrellas to provide shady spots for quiet play are also included.

Davis said volunteers "deconstructed" and saved as much as possible from the school garden before the seismic retrofit work began. A contractor will do the hardscape portion of the restoration, but volunteers will provide "sweat equity" during later phases of the project. John Gibbs, a landscape architect and president of the Beach Dads Club, has contributed many volunteer hours to designing the restored garden, Davis said.

The campaign will also pay for improvements to the school's theater and possibly some small interior furnishings.

Among those who have been heavily involved in organizing the capital campaign are Gibbs, lead coordinator Laura Katter, Heather Chan, BPO President Tina Coleman, Patricia Gatz, Pear Michaels, Margaret Overden, Valerie Villanueva and Davis himself.

Davis and his wife, Susan Miller Davis, have two sons who attend Beach: Ellington, a fourth grader, and Murray, a second grader.

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