Annual Appeal

Dear Friends of Cherry Preschool,

It’s hard to believe that we are marking the beginning of our eighteenth year.  It seems like only yesterday that we were looking for the perfect location and collecting toys.  Our little school has grown a lot in all these years.  But just as our first graduating class, now entering its final year of college, is looking to the future with some uncertainty in light of our nation’s current economic crisis, our preschool is also looking ahead to uncertain financial times.  An integral part of our mission has always been our commitment to diversity, community outreach, inclusion of children with special needs, and assistance for financially stressed families.  Finding the resources to fulfill this mission is becoming harder and harder in today’s economy  . . .

Read Cherry's State of the School Report here.

 . . . (continued)

These difficult times have left many of our families struggling to honor their financial commitment to Cherry Preschool.  Over the years, we have seen the need for scholarship dollars jump from $27,000 in 2004 to $55,650 today, and the cost of our Inclusion Program jump from $59,000 to $128,000.  We are doing everything we can to assist as many families as possible, but our budget will not allow us to continue to help our families at this level and beyond.  Now more than ever, we need the help of our caring community of current families, alumni, and friends to ensure that children of all abilities and families of all means can be part of our preschool community.

We have always done everything possible to support the families that are already part of our preschool community.  Your donation will enable us to keep this pledge to our families.  Consider underwriting part or all of one tuition scholarship or contributing to the cost of an inclusion aide for a child.  You can help a child begin her preschool education by making a donation towards the tuition for a 2 Day Young 3s Class ($1,900) or to complete his final year of preschool by underwriting a portion of a 5 Day Pre-Kindergarten Class ($4,000).  Or you can ensure the inclusion of a child in a 3 Day 3s Class by helping to fund her aide ($3,500).

If you are unable to underwrite a child’s tuition or an inclusion aide’s salary, please consider as generous a gift as your budget permits.  Whatever you are able to contribute will be greatly appreciated and will allow us to help a child stay in school.  For your convenience, we are offering an online donation option (www.cherrypreschool.org).

Despite the challenge of funding early childhood education, research has shown that it lays the foundation for future school success.  Children who participate in quality programs like Cherry Preschool have better language and cognitive skills when they enter elementary school.  They learn to be part of a group, to take turns and share, and to follow a teacher’s direction.  They have improved listening skills as well as better large and fine motor abilities.  A preschool education helps a children begin formal schooling with confidence.  In addition to these important readiness skills, children that go to Cherry Preschool also learn basic principles of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.  By learning two important rules, “You can’t say you can’t play” and “Be fair” – our children learn to recognize situations that are not fair and to feel empowered to stand up to injustice.  Think how much better the world would be if everyone played by these rules! 

Please help us continue our mission.  Thank you for being as generous as possible.

Best wishes!