Due to a major work malfunction involving excel spreadsheets, mysterious loss of data, and a hard deadline of 8am this morning, I was up until midnight last night repairing a document I had been working on most of the day. This, in addition to wall-to-wall meetings until 11am today, means I am posting my blog late for the very first time. Apologies, early morning readers. There are certainly many joys to working from home, but major malfunctions that cannot be left at work till the next day because one’s workplace exists across the hall from one’s bedroom is not one of those joys….

However! Since I am telling you a recent trial, I’d like to balance that out by telling you about an aspect of my job as executive director for the McCall-Donnelly Education Foundation that makes any trial well worth the late-night work and added stress – our grants program. As a former student of the McCall-Donnelly school district, seeing these incredible projects being developed for today’s students gives me immense satisfaction and pride for my job and the people I work with. Truly, I am honored to do the work I do.

This year, we are proud to fund the Payette Lakes Community Association for their Lifestyles after-school program for the Barbara Morgan and Donnelly Elementary schools. This innovative program engages students in physical and educational activities by coaching students on how to integrate nutrition and exercise into their daily lives.

We are also pleased to present the Payette Lakes Middle School with funds to build a greenhouse. The project will teach students how to grow and tend their own garden – a valuable lesson in both nutrition and biology – and will result in fresh produce to be used in school lunches at PLMS and Barbara Morgan Elementary.

PLMS will also receive funds for an after-school technology camp called 21st Century Learner, organized by principal Susan Buescher. The camp will last 3 weeks, and will teach students basic computer programming skills and will result in a project template that can be applied to classrooms in the upcoming school year.

Donnelly Elementary is receiving funds for three exciting new programs – the first is a musical production by Missoula Children’s Theatre, in which the students are invited to play key roles in the play. The second is Tyler Vance’s new music program concept – Music Matters. He will be hiring a professional composer to visit his music class and help the students compose and perform their own original piece. Lastly, Angel Hudson’s kindergarten class will receive a new program called Touch Math, which is a highly effective, interactive way of learning math concepts and formulas.

McCall-Donnelly High School’s Winter Sports Club has been granted funds to purchase new equipment for their highly successful program, Winter Sports Are for Everyone. The program grants access to winter recreation equipment for students who would not otherwise be able to afford it. MDHS will also be receiving funds to purchase poetry anthology e-books, which will redefine the way students and teachers look at and discuss poetry by granting the entire school a more versatile way of accessing volumes that span centuries of poetic authors.

And I feel I should mention here too, that is only 8 of the 30 amazing applications we received, and many of the programs we’re funding this year are being organized by people who volunteer their time to make these things happen. I am humbled and amazed by our endlessly motivated and generous little community.

So, although other components of my life may take the back burner at times, all I have to do to remind myself of why I’m sometimes up till the wee hours hammering away at my keyboard is take one look at the phenomenal programs my work helps support.

The “I want to be as comfy as possible but still look professional” Look
Top: handmade by Portland designer ADD
Skirt: handmade thrift store find – no tag
Shoes: Cole Haan – thrift store find
Glasses: Alain Mikli
Earrings/Necklace: Hazel Cox

Many thanks to Kelly Lynae for this quick and dirty playground romp photo shoot.
When one can’t just play, at least make work feel like play from time to time………