About the Disney II Educational Foundation
The Disney II Educational Foundation is an independent community based organization whose mission is to preserve and promote the quality of education and the learning environment at Disney II Magnet School. The Foundation’s primary role is to lead the fundraising efforts for the benefit of the school.
Disney II Magnet School is a Renaissance 2010 school with proven academic success. The school’s overall philosophy is to provide the foundation for each student to be an academically, emotionally and socially empowered individual and to help each child live a productive, well-rounded life. We have a number of programs that set us apart, including an Extended Day, Fine Arts & Technology, Literacy and Math Programs - and we need your support to sustain them.
Currently, our Extended Day Program is our number one priority for our fundraising efforts:
• Extended school day costs $100k/year.• CPS per pupil funding and state funding is not enough to meet our academic goals… we rely on fundraising and grants.• If we lose the Extended Day, we are at risk of:— losing important inquiry-based learning time for literacy and math programs as well as time to develop the whole child,— maintaining limited class size and an aid per grade level,as well as important time for Arts and Technology integration.
OUR PROGRAMS
Extended School Day
Students at Disney II are in school for 6 hours and 45 minutes a day. This is one extra hour a day compared to nearly all other Chicago Public Schools. Statistics show a longer school day leads to greater academic achievement. Ultimately, students who complete Disney II’s K-8 program will experience an additional year of learning time compared to students in traditional Chicago Public Schools. Our Extended Day allows for:
— time for inquiry-based learning and development of the whole child,
— daily recess, and
— the full implementation of the school’s cutting-edge literacy program.
Literacy Program
Disney II has implemented a Balanced Approach to literacy which incorporates various teaching methods including the implementation of “STEP” (Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress) assessment developed by the University of Chicago. This program provides:
— a full time literacy/reading specialist on staff, and
— two hours per day of differentiated literacy instruction.
Fine Arts and Technology Program
Disney II students experience Art and Music classes twice a week as well as comprehensive Technology integration into all aspects of academic programming.
University of Chicago Math Program
The Extended Day is an amazing opportunity; one that will ultimately benefit our child far into the future. But it comes at a cost. In order to secure the future of the Extended Day, a program that is not funded by the state or city, we must raise $100,000 over the next year. This is a staggering amount, but we know we can do it. Your contribution will make a difference to every student at Disney II Magnet. Thank you for your help today!