News & Recent Grants

The Spring  Fiesta brought together over 140 Somerset ES parents and school staff on May 21st to enjoy a fun evening of light appetizers, cool drinks and festive music!   Not only was a good time had by all, but the event raised over $13k for our school foundation!

Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the success, with special thanks to:

• Anna Deeny and Greg Locraft, who were incredibly gracious hosts and shared their stunning home.
• Nancy Kadowitz who led the party planning effort and all members of the team: Liz O’Donnell, Elaine Akst, Anna Deeny, and Anne Hawkins.
• Liz O’Donnell and Tracy Jeffcott who organized the silent auction, as well as all of the teachers and parents who were so generous in donating the auction items, and all the parents who bid on the items.  The auction alone raised close to $6k!
• Phyllis and Jonathan Wiesenfelder, Long & Foster Real Estate who were the lead sponsors of the party.
• The team of Westland Middle School students who helped throughout the evening.
• And all the members of the Somerset Foundation Board who contributed the sangria, beer & wine and together co-hosted the evening.

On November 20, 2015, Katherine Coleman, Co-Chair of the Play It Forward Field Campaign, handed over a check to Seth Adams, Director, Division of Construction, Depart of Facilities Management at MCPS, thus officially commencing the design phase for a new turf field at Somerset Elementary. During the last few months, a team including members from MCPS, the Somerset Foundation, and the Somerset PTA worked together to select Nobis Engineering, Inc. to conduct this work, which will begin with a survey/basesheet development and a geotechnical investigation. The design phase is funded by the Somerset PTA’s allocation of reserves to the field campaign. Fundraising for the construction phase has strong momentum and is ongoing. Every dollar counts and your support will make a very tangible difference!

The Play It Forward Campaign to renovate the Somerset field launched on September 27th, 2015. This fall is full of “Count Me In” Parties – exciting ways to contribute to the campaign while getting fit, learning something new and having a great time with friends and family!   The first four events have SOLD OUT, so buy your tickets early!

LEARN MORE AND BUY TICKETS HERE

In addition to the Play It Forward Field Campaign, the Somerset Foundation continues to review grant proposals submitted by teachers and staff, primarily at Somerset Elementary School. At the November 4th, 2015 Board Meeting, the members approved a grant to purchase updated software and equipment to allow staff and students at Somerset Elementary to develop ideas, and create and share interactive videos. The new capability represents an effective form of communication for capturing and sharing experiences amongst staff members, as well as an opportunity to introduce students to the video editing software, preparing them for what they will see in middle school.