Small Learning Groups
Most education occurs within a classroom, and teachers and teaching assistants – who spend the most time with students – have a direct impact on student learning. This is why IPSF provides a significant amount of funding to the Irvine Unified School District to facilitate smaller learning groups, also called additional staffing hours, every year. These funds provide schools with greater flexibility in managing larger class sizes through the use of small learning groups.
Instructional assistants in elementary schools make it possible for teachers to work with students in smaller learning groups, which has proven to be incredibly effective. Through these smaller groups, teachers and instructional assistants can offer more personalized instruction by tailoring assignments based on skill level.
In middle and high schools, these funds provide staffing hours, enabling schools to add sections of core classes, including math and language arts. By adding sections, this reduces class sizes in key subject areas and provides students with a smaller learning environment.
The amount of classroom support funding provided to each school is determined by IUSD based on enrollment figures.
Researchers report that, regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats.
Source: Davis, Barbara G. Tools for Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.
In a time when most public school districts have eliminated school music programs, Irvine continues to thrive thanks to community support of IPSF.
IPSF fully funds the primary music program provided to students in transitional kindergarten through third grade. This program provides students with a solid foundation in musical concepts in a fun, supportive environment.
IPSF works together with the school district to ensure that each child in every school, TK-3rd grade, receives quality music education. Why? Because we know that early exposure to music promotes collaboration and communication skills, creativity, self-expression, leadership, and overall improved academic performance. Music is essential if we want to truly offer a world class and well-rounded education to our students.
Health & Wellness
The IPSF health and wellness initiative exists to ensure that each child in every IUSD school receives high quality school health services, regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. Since 2005, IPSF has maintained the health and wellness initiative as a high priority, so that all IUSD students can thrive and succeed in school.
A mounting body of evidence has established links between comprehensive school health programs and educational outcomes, indicating that healthier students attend school more often, perform better academically and are significantly less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.
IPSF is working with IUSD, health experts, and community leaders to implement a comprehensive program to foster healthy and health-literate students. Current objectives include:
Increasing nursing staff at IUSD school sites. School nurses oversee the health of more than 36,000 IUSD students. In the 2019-2020 school year, IUSD maintained a staffing level of 17 IUSD school nurses and a student to nurse ratio of 2500:1. This effort is made possible through ongoing support from Hoag Community Benefits Grant.
Supporting Athletic Trainers for IUSD Athletic Programs. Thanks to generous support from Hoag Orthopedic Institute, IPSF is providing support for athletic trainers at each of the five comprehensive high schools. The major focus of the Athletic Trainer Service will be to identify risk factors, prevent injuries, provide appropriate medical treatment, including rehabilitative services and referral support, and detect and correct health problems directly related to athletic performance, such as concussion risks.
IPSF is proud to continue to commit $250,000 annually to help support Mental Health programs throughout the district. Mental health is important for every student in maintaining a well-balanced life. While studies indicate that up to 20% of children in America have a diagnosable mental illness, every student experiences times in their lives when they feel down, stressed out, or overwhelmed by some aspect of their life. Maintaining good mental health means having the skills and strategies to address problems in ways that are positive and knowing how to seek support if needed.
Building resiliency is central to IUSD’s strategy for addressing mental health and promoting wellness among all students, preschool through high school. Age-appropriate social emotional learning programs and other supports are in place to provide students with the knowledge and tools they need to recognize and deal with stressful situations.
IPSF is working to continue our efforts and engage the medical community, local businesses and foundations, parents, institutions of higher education, and the City of Irvine to meet the health needs of the IUSD student population and those who serve them.
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In a rapidly changing global society, our students must be prepared to be creative, think strategically, and innovate. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) provides those skills while engaging students in hands-on learning that is both educational and exciting. Students who are involved in STEAM activities are more likely to thrive and succeed in school, and to pursue careers in STEAM fields.
The goal of IPSF’s STEAM Initiative is to engage the Irvine community in STEAM education so that all students have extensive opportunities to develop high interest in science and related relevant subject areas, in line with next generation Science Standards and the Irvine Unified School District’s strategic priorities. We seek to achieve this by supporting and offering programs that expose young learners to real-world applications and career exploration opportunities throughout their primary and secondary education, both inside and outside the classroom.
Our annual OC STEAM Fest event is a fun-filled day for students and families to explore exciting, hands-on activities related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
AT YOUR SCHOOL
IPSF is proud to provide nearly $6 million annually in grants and program support to Irvine Unified School District. See how your donations are used to make an impact in your local school.
At Alderwood, we are so grateful for our partnership with IPSF. The valuable resources and support provided by IPSF, enhances the learning experience of students and staff. With IPSF’s class size reduction funds, we are able to provide Instructional Assistants in all of our classes, PK-6th grade. These Instructional Assistants work with students providing support in all areas of the curriculum in small group settings. These groups allow students to have more specialized and differentiated instruction and activities. We also are able to use IPSF funds to support programs at Alderwood that provide enrichment opportunities to our students including the ACE afterschool program and our Summer Enrichment program. These valuable programs give students educational experiences that they may not otherwise be able to have. In addition, IPSF has been an integral partner in supporting innovation on our site. Alderwood was been awarded two separate IPSF Innovation Grants in previous years. These grants have provided flexible seating and a makerspace in the classroom setting. We have also received two Mega Grants, one in 2016 to build an Innovation Lab and another in 2019 to enhance the technology in our Learning Commons. These grants have been an integral part in promoting creativity, design, and collaboration for all students in the 21st century STEAM learning environment.
Principal, Alderwood Elementary School
Beacon Park K-8
The support Beacon Park students receive on behalf of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation is invaluable. Their funding for Beacon Park transcends all grade levels and impacts the social, academic, and extracurricular experiences of our students. Instructional Assistants funded by IPSF allow Beacon Park teachers flexibility to ensure that students’ needs are being met. At times instructional assistants lead large group activities so that the classroom teachers can meet with small groups of students to build and enrich math and reading skills. At other times, the Instructional Assistants lead small student groups focused on literacy and writing. The IPSF allocation for our Middle School allows us to add classes and give our students in a smaller K – 8 setting access to some of the same experiences in the comprehensive Middle Schools. Beacon Park students are able to participate in trimester exploratory classes each trimester in the arts and technology, while also enrolling in year-long electives like Yearbook, ASB Leadership, Foreign Languages, and STEM-based Career/Technical Education classes. Our Middle School Music Electives are full since our students have been able to experience high-quality music instruction during their primary years of school. This past year, Beacon Park was awarded an IPSF grant for our Garden. With the grant money we were immediately able to refresh old equipment and purchase new equipment. This year, we are coordinating a new butterfly garden with Second Grade, growing Bottle Gourds for a Fourth-Grade social studies project and delivering pumpkins to our Middle School teachers for a pumpkin carving contest. The garden has been an engaging and unique experience for students from all backgrounds and grade levels, and the IPSF Mega Grant has made it sustainable for years to come. IPSF’s generous support provides foundational experiences for all our students while they’re young, targeted intervention and enrichment in academic courses, and the access and equity of a comprehensive Middle School. I can’t imagine the impact on our program if we lost the support of IPSF.
Principal, Beacon Park School
Bonita Canyon Elementary
IPSF is a wonderful partner who contributes greatly to the success of Bonita Canyon Elementary School. Our students directly benefit from IPSF when we are able hire classroom support because of their generosity. This support allows teachers to more effectively reach all their students and provide the enrichment and remediation necessary for all of our students to be successful. IPSF gives our students so many enrichment opportunities in our afterschool ACE program as well. The afterschool opportunities dovetail quite nicely with our programs here at BC. We are excited to be able offer these classes year after year. Excitingly, we’ve added a musical theater program as well because of the support from our partners at IPSF. Thank you IPSF for your relentless support in providing the highest quality educational experience we can envision. Go BC Bears!!
Principal, Bonita Canyon Elementary School
At Brywood, IPSF classroom support funds employ three part-time instructional assistants who assist in teaching a diverse population of students in Kindergarten through 6th grade. The instructional aide support has a positive impact on all facets of student learning in both English Language Arts and math by allowing us to differentiate targeted instruction and activities. Brywood teacher, Melody Rodriguez, received in IPSF Mega Grant for $15,284 recently to purchase a Virtual Reality system and out students have been enjoying the way this technology brings their learning to life! In addition, Brywood’s students continue to thrive and develop their individual talents due to the unique enrichment opportunities IPSF provides through their music, science, and summer programs.
Principal, Brywood Elementary School
Cadence Park K-8
At Cadence Park School, IPSF funds are allocated annually to fund additional instructional assistant (IA) hours to support daily instruction. By strategically adding IA support at certain times, we are better able to facilitate student rotations, which effectively reduce the adult to student ratio. In addition to instructional support, these additional I.A. hours allow us to cover classes while teachers across a grade level are released to participate in their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). During PLC meetings, teachers focus on improving learning outcomes via responsive and intentional instructional practices. Beyond the supplementary IA support, all Cadence Park students will benefit from the incredible enrichment opportunities offered by IPSF via the ACE, Summer, and Primary Music programs. Further, our school has benefitted tremendously from the IPSF Innovative Grants Program, receiving grants in recent years to support STEM education, our school gardening program, and VEX robotics! We are grateful to IPSF for their continued impact and investment in the youth of Irvine.
Principal, Cadence Park Elementary School
Canyon View Elementary
The generosity of IPSF enhances the educational experience of all our students at Canyon View in so many ways. At a time when mental health support is invaluable, we are grateful to the commitment of IPSF to ensuring full time mental health support through our Elementary Resource Counselor. Thanks to additional funding provided by IPSF, we are able to fund a portion of our IA positions, who are instrumental in providing targeted support to daily instruction. Additionally, our TK – 3rd grade students receive high quality primary music instruction every other week from teachers who are trained and credentialed music specialists and bring knowledge, joy, and passion for the Arts into the classroom. And not to be forgotten, IPSF after school ACE classes offer enrichment outside the school day and our students look forward to joining in the fun each session. Thank you to IPSF for all you do!
Principal, Canyon View Elementary School
College Park Elementary
The support that IPSF provides to our College Park community is invaluable! IPSF gave our school a $10,000 grant last year to purchase items for our calming centers which are spots around campus where students can release their stress, anxiety, or just take a short break. Through these calm centers, we hope to teach our students how to regulate their fears and worries and how to calm themselves in times of stress, which are skills they will need in their daily lives as they grow up. In addition, IPSF funds Instructional Assistants who assist small groups of students who need extra support in the classroom, and also support the rest of the class while teachers are working with small groups. With these trained aides, teachers are able to meet the needs of all students with more individualized attention, whether their students need extra support or extra challenge in the areas of reading, writing, math, learning English, or other curricular areas. IPSF provides our K – 3 music funding which allows each primary classroom with music instruction. In addition, IPSF has provided our school district with much needed mental health funding, which is so important as we navigate this pandemic and its aftermath. The afterschool and summer enrichment, the instrument rental, and student STEAM and other workshops are all extras that our school district is blessed with, funded by IPSF. We are so fortunate to have the wonderful support of IPSF here at College Park.
Principal, College Park Elementary School
Creekside Education Center
IPSF has provided tremendous support for our student programs at Creekside Education Center and we are grateful that IPSF has added district-wide mental health resources to the areas that they support each year. Our wellness counselor is an invaluable asset to our counseling team. The Wellness counselor provides additional social/emotional support to our students on campus through individual and group counseling. They work with the counseling department to identify students in need of support and guide the student and family to resources in our community. Working within the counseling team, they are an additional support on our campus and play a crucial role in providing a safe and healthy environment to all our students. The wellness coordinator is also a member of our PBIS/MTSS team and presents guidance and mental health lessons to students on campus. The wellness coordinator has greatly increased the strength of our ability to provide students with comprehensive access to mental health and wellness services.
Principal, Creekside High School
Culverdale students and staff continue to benefit from IPSF’s schoolwide impact. IPSF commits funding for additional instructional assistant hours to provide students with more playground supervision and more optimal student-to-staff small group learning activities. As a proponent of equity, our school received 38 take-home kits of “STEAM Fest” materials, which will be awarded to qualified K-6 students who demonstrate a strong interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and/or mathematics. IPSF continues to support music education on-site for grades K-6, including assistance with instrument rentals for families in grades 4-6. For after the instructional day, students are provided with Afterschool Classroom Enrichment (ACE) course offerings for families seeking fun extracurriculars. During the summer months, many of our Koalas enhance their summer with 3-week programs which are offered at nearby Summer Enrichment Academy school sites. Our Culverdale Koalas, their families, and our staff are fortunate to have the ongoing support of IPSF.
Principal, Culverdale Elementary School
Cypress Village Elementary
Cypress Village is incredibly grateful for our partnership with IPSF. This organization provides valuable resources and support to our entire Cypress Village school community that enhances the learning experiences for all of our students. With IPSF’s class size reduction funds, we are able to provide teachers and students with instructional assistants through TK-6th grade classes. With the support of instructional assistants, students are able to access learning in smaller groups, and we can provide additional learning opportunities for students needing re-teaching or enrichment opportunities. Through our partnership with IPSF we are able to enrich student learning experiences across all grade levels to benefit all students. IPSF’s dedication to bringing the arts to school and supporting afterschool and summer programs provides a variety of creative learning opportunities that allow students to extend their educational experiences beyond the classroom. We are incredibly appreciative for the partnership we have with IPSF and the support they provide to Cypress Village and our community.
Principal, Cypress Village Elementary School
IPSF has made an incredible impact in supporting the needs of Deerfield Elementary! Tens of thousands of dollars have been directed to students and programs on our campus to support academic and social/emotional enrichment and achievement. IPSF grants have allowed us to build an interactive school garden and create “Flock Together”, a leadership service program for our upper grade students. We are so excited to be able to revive Flock Together this year. We are also redesigning and replanting our garden with students. IPSF has provided much needed funding for our instructional aides who support lower class size ratios for targeted intervention time with students, as well as other resources to support the social/emotional wellness and growth of our kids. We are incredibly grateful for IPSF and their support!
Principal, Deerfield Elementary School
Early Childhood Learning Center
IPSF has been instrumental in supporting ECLC’s capacity to develop innovative programs that ensure high quality preschool learning for all children. IPSF grants have sustained teachers in their ongoing quest to deepen and extend student learning in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways in order to lay the foundation for learning. We have received grants to enhance creativity in the arts at preschool, STEAM programming, play, language, social and motor development, inclusion, language and literacy, and increase family engagement in schools. Last year ECLC received a grant to increase communication skills with students in all areas of our campus! Each summer, many of our students participate in the IPSF summer classes to support student success as they transition from ECLC to their PK or K programs.
Principal, Early Childhood Learning Center
IPSF is an essential component of the quality educational experience Eastshore provides the community. IPSF contributes to the funding used to hire essential instructional assistants for grades PK-6. These important staff members allow us to reduce instructional group size to ensure students meet the critical core standards in literacy and Math. IPSF also supports our primary music program, which provides bi-monthly music instruction for our K-3 students. Additionally, our teachers have the opportunity to apply for grants to supplement and enhance classroom instruction each year. We are able to improve the quality of STEAM programs and our Diversity/Equity/Inclusion literacy materials for all students through these grants. The staff, students and parents at Eastshore benefit enormously from the support provided by IPSF and we are thankful!
Principal, Eastshore Elementary School
IPSF is instrumental in providing the world-class education we expect in Irvine. As we work to reconnect with our students and our community, the value of having instructional assistants on campus who can support both the academic and social needs of our children cannot be overstated. The generous allocation from IPSF provides more caring adults on campus who support our core mission at Eastwood of developing personalized connections to support the whole child. Every kid needs a champion, and IPSF provides more opportunities for this to happen!
Principal, Eastwood Elementary School
IPSF is instrumental in districtwide fundraising in order to bring programming and other amazing opportunities for student learning to ALL of the students at Greentree Elementary School. Our students are able to participate in creative afterschool programs, such as our annual School Musical, as well as various other high interest, engaging classes, through the ACE program. Our primary Eagles, in grades K-3, are offered primary music taught by instructors paid for by IPSF. Our school also receives funding to support instructional assists, who work with our teachers in order to lower class size and give more direct attention to those students who require it. We LOVE IPSF and what they bring to our school and the greater community!
Principal, Greentree Elementary School
IUSD Virtual Academy K-6
When the IUSD Virtual Academy Elementary began, we had over 8,700 students throughout the district. Online learning was new and teachers needed support. IPSF provided support in the form of a mega-grant that purchased supplementary software for our students. This year, IPSF continues to support with the software and offers ACE programs to IVA students that want to take enrichment activities. IPSF has been there academically and socially for our students in a time of need. Thank you IPSF!
Principal, IVA K-6
Irvine High School
IPSF has been an ongoing instrumental partner with IUSD and Irvine High School. School wide, IPSF’s investment in our students through their support of Naviance has allowed us to enhance our counseling program and has provided a value-added resource that assists our students with their high school and college and career plans. The safety and wellbeing of our student-athletes has increased with IPSF’s support of a Certified Athletic Trainer. Our Athletic Trainer is available daily to help support, treat, and educate our student-athletes about their injuries so that they can get back to their playing field safely. Through IPSF’s support, we were able to enhance our Engineering program with the opportunity to apply and receive a $20,000 innovation grant. This support has enabled our students to apply what they learn with an industry standard 3D printer. IPSF’s continued support through innovative grants has also been instrumental in our Science programs, providing 3D anatomical models for our students to manipulate in class which have enhanced their practical application and knowledge of the anatomical aspects of the human body. IPSF’s ongoing commitment to our school continues to be evidenced through their yearly support of additional funds for staffing which assists us in lowering some of our class sizes. Our partnership with IPSF has allowed us to continue to work on providing the best possible educational experience we can envision at Irvine High School. Thank you IPSF!
Monica Colunga Ed.D.
Principal, Irvine High School
Jeffrey Trail Middle School
IPSF continues to partner with Jeffrey Trail Middle School to bring programing to our students that enrich and extend their learning. Last year we were thrilled to receive $10,000 Innovative Grant for our Independent Living Skills program and Classroom VR Adventures project. This year they also continue to support our award winning Robotics program. We look forward to adding additional IPSF sponsored programs as we strive to meet the interests of all students. IPSF has provided summer programs that many of our students benefit from every year. We are grateful for the support of IPSF and all they do to meet the needs of our community.
Principal, Jeffrey Trail Middle School
Lakeside Middle School
The high level of community support that we enjoy in Irvine is vital to the success of our schools and our students. Nowhere is this more apparent than through the support we receive from IPSF. The contributions made by the foundation help us create meaningful learning experiences for students through smaller class sizes, meaningful elective classes and exciting extra-curricular opportunities. With the help of IPSF we are able to support students to become more confident and successful in the future.
Principal, Lakeside Elementary School
Loma Ridge Elementary School
The contributions of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) are received with gratitude at Loma Ridge. We utilize the instructional assistant support provided to reduce ratios and deliver small group, differentiated instruction to meet individual student needs. Additionally, the opportunity to have our younger students experience music at school would not be possible without IPSF. Throughout the past couple years, it has become more evident than ever before that we need resources to maintain positive mental health for our students. We greatly appreciate IPSF’s contributions to that end. Finally, we look forward to the installation of our school garden funded by the IPSF innovative grants program. The $10,000 grant that IPSF provided will fund an innovative outdoor learning space for students in pre-kindergarten up to sixth grade. We are so grateful to have been the recipient of such an incredible resource that IPSF provides to enrich our students’ experiences at Loma Ridge.
Principal, Loma Ridge Elementary School
Meadow Park Elementary
Meadow Park Elementary School is extremely appreciative of the continued support of IPSF to strengthen our instructional programs. With the help of IPSF we have had their assistance in helping to fund a portion of our instructional assistants. The funds IPSF provide allow for small group instruction in Language Arts, math, and What Is Needed (WIN) Time. Whether it is our instructional assistants helping with a group of students, or providing skill reinforcement, we appreciate their important roles.
Principal, Meadow Park Elementary School
IPSF enriches the educational experience of each child at Northwood. Their impact can be felt daily in the academic and extracurricular experiences of our students. Instructional assistants funded by IPSF assist in creating opportunities for more individualized attention for our students, providing more frequent intervention and enrichment opportunities. IPSF fully funds Northwood’s K-3 Primary Music program and rents nearly 2,200 high-quality instruments at affordable prices to students in IUSD. IPSF has committed to help fund K-12 mental health initiatives throughout the district. Additional support programs funded by IPSF at Northwood include the ACE afterschool program and the Summer Enrichment program. Northwood has been the recipient of several IPSF Innovation Grants in previous years. These grants have provided Chromebooks and materials to enhance students’ access to technology. IPSF is a valued partner in our commitment to provide the highest quality education we can envision and we are grateful for their partnership.
Principal, Northwood Elementary School
Northwood High School
NHS would like to thank IPSF! We have been able to keep class sizes for freshmen level courses such as English, History, Science and Math low through the support from IPSF. In addition, the Athletic Trainers that are funded by IPSF are vital! They not only are the first aid responders, they follow up with injured athletes and their parents. We also want to thank IPSF for the Innovative Grants they have provided over the years to support our Forensics Program, Art, and Mental Health Programs. Our students’ safety and wellness remain a priority thanks to this support!
Leslie Roach, Ed.D.
Principal, Northwood High School
Oak Creek Elementary
At Oak Creek Elementary, IPSF funds are used to hire instructional assistants (I.A.s) to support leveled reading instruction (referred to as RTI). This occurs 3-4 times per week in all grade levels. By strategically pushing one or two I.A.s into certain classrooms, we are better able to facilitate student rotations, which effectively reduce the adult to student ratio by two thirds. In addition to RTI support, I.A.s are utilized to cover classes while teachers across a grade level are released to participate in their Professional Learning Communities, which focus on improving learning outcomes via responsive and intentional instructional practices. Beyond the vital support provided by I.A.s, Oak Creek Elementary students continue to benefit from the incredible enrichment opportunities offered by IPSF via the ACE, Summer school, and Primary Music Program. We are grateful to IPSF for their continued partnership in support of Irvine students!
Principal, Oak Creek Elementary School
Plaza Vista K-8
Before I applied for the job here as the principal, I asked a family friend whose son attends Plaza Vista, “How does the school make you feel?” She told me, “In kindergarten, my son was still learning how to read. I would pack him a small note in his snack every day. And a teacher would read that note to him… Everyday.” Once I got the job, I found out that the “teacher” she was referring to was an instructional assistant paid for by IPSF. Not only does IPSF help us have world-class achieving students, but IPSF is an important part of the fabric of the Irvine and IUSD culture. Last year, we were thrilled to be awarded nearly $10,000 Innovative Grant from IPSF for our ‘Let Our Voices Be Heard’ project to augment wireless microphones to be used for music education, assemblies and school-wide performances. My wife and I are thrilled to be IUSD alumni, educators in IUSD, Irvine residents, and have our children attend IUSD schools where IPSF is a critical partner in every student’s success.
Principal, Plaza Vista Elementary School
Portola High School
As a newer high school, people assume we have everything we need. No one can argue that we have a beautiful facility, however, the most important work we do is orchestrated by the classroom teacher. IPSF has been instrumental in providing funding for us to help run a couple of extra classes that normally our enrollment would not allow us to support. Because of that, students have more access to electives and classes they are passionate about. Another key component for us has been the support of our athletic trainer. The partnership with IPSF has added a layer of safety, injury prevention, and treatment to over half of our student body. Fortunately, our staff has benefitted from several IPSF Innovative Grants as well, including most recently last year we were awarded a $10,000 grant to convert our music classrooms into recording studios to benefit our music education and instrumental music students. Our Science Department was also awarded a grant, allowing us to provide a Genius Project for students to learn about, design, and construct individual Aquaponics systems. We could not have taken on these projects without the generosity of IPSF. Finally, IPSF has made available funding for our seniors to ask for mini grants to help fund their senior passion projects. The support from IPSF during our students’ formative years remains vital.
Principal, Portola High School
Portola Springs Elementary
It is through the generous financial support of IPSF that we are able to provide the fulltime support of our Elementary Resource Counselor (ERC), Mrs. Hamilton. This year, IPSF has partnered with IUSD to provide 5 day a week support at every Elementary School. Mrs. Hamilton supports our students in small group social skills groups, individual counseling, and so much more. With our commitment to Portola Springs to #RSPCT and the Social Emotional well-being of our students, we know this support is invaluable. Additionally, IPSF fully funds our Primary Music program for TK-3rd graders and their music education with Mrs. Held. The support of IPSF makes such a difference for our Grizzlies!
Principal, Portola Springs Elementary School
Rancho San Joaquin Middle School
We love our partnership with IPSF! We were the recipients of an IPSF grant that provided hands on activities for our students, including an interactive white board for our library, rocket launches in science as they study physics, and team building equipment! The additional funding from IPSF helps to boost our class section allotment, allowing us to provide a more robust master schedule with smaller class sizes for our students. Thank you IPSF, for helping us provide the best learning environment possible!
Principal, Rancho San Joaquin Middle School
Santiago Hills Elementary
The Irvine Public School Foundation has provided many opportunities for enrichment and small group instruction at Santiago Hills. In 2018-2019 we were the recipients of the IPSF Innovation Grant, which has allowed us to purchase a variety of STEAM resources. The robots, circuits, iPads, green screen, and other tools created the foundation for our Innovation Lab that continues to flourish in the 22-23 school year. Our students are building, creating, designing, and engineering thanks to the IPSF Innovation Grant. In addition to the grant we received, our students also benefit from the K-3 music program where primary students learn musical concepts in fun and engaging ways and upper grade students have a choice of vocal or an instrument. IPSF provides an incomparable world class elementary music education for all IUSD students. Lastly, IPSF provides funds to support the addition of instructional aides on our campus. The instructional aides reduce our class sizes and allow for small group instruction and improved student learning. Our instructional aides have an important role in allowing each student’s voice and thinking to be heard and making the lessons more accessible through small group support. We are so fortunate to have parent contributions to IPSF to provide these valuable learning resources to Santiago Hills. As we enter a new chapter at Santiago Hills, we look forward to the continued support and collaboration with IPSF.
Principal, Santiago Hills Elementary School
Sierra Vista Middle School
IPSF continues to do amazing things for our school community. IPSF provides opportunities for kids so they can have a more enriching experience here at Sierra Vista. Over the summer, students can take fun and enlightening courses during IPSF Summer School and that continues throughout the course of the year with IPSF ACE before/after school classes. Students benefit from these experiences because they are able to build relationships while exploring common interests. Our teachers have benefited greatly from IPSF grants so that our students have a more enriching experience and access to opportunities that they would not have otherwise. The grants that our teachers have won in the past few years have expanded opportunities for kids while also bringing our community closer together. We are so thankful for our partnership with IPSF!
Principal, Sierra Vista Middle School
South Lake Middle School
At South Lake Middle School, we are extremely fortunate to benefit from our partnership with IPSF. The contributions made by the foundation help us create meaningful learning experiences for students through smaller class sizes, and exciting extra-curricular opportunities. With the help of IPSF we are able to support students to become more confident and successful in the future.
Principal, South Lake Middle School
Solis Park School
The Irvine Public School Foundation has been an integral part of support at all of the sites across IUSD and as Irvine Unified’s newest K8, we have been so grateful for the time and energy they have given to supporting Solis Park. They provide funds to support the addition of instructional aides on our campus, which enables us to reduce class sizes and allows for small group instruction and improved student learning. They participated in our family orientation event prior to the opening of our campus. As we grow, we look forward to continued collaboration with and support from this amazing organization!
Principal, Solis Park
Irvine Public Schools Foundation adds immeasurable value to the educational experience of our Springbrook students! From the ongoing support of the music program, to their support of mental health resources, IPSF helps make Springbrook School’s culture whole and well-rounded. IPSF funding that supports classroom instruction is invaluable: our instructional assistants are a valued and integral part of our instructional program. They provide classroom support and small group instruction for all students in Pre-K through 6th grade, as well as for students in need of targeted interventions. Instructional assistants help provide differentiation for various student learning levels so that our students can maximize their achievement. Last year, our school received a grant to support project based learning and we look forward to the impact this will make for our students!
Principal, Springbrook Elementary School
Stone Creek Elementary
IPSF continues to be a partner to our Stone Creek community in creating opportunities for our students to access enriching programs and resources. Stone Creek has been the proud recipient of an Innovative Grant, which has provided $20,000 in STEM materials for our Innovation Lab. IPSF ACE classes have also provided hands-on learning classes for our students in creative subjects like dance, cooking, chess, and science. With the partnership of IPSF, Stone Creek has had increased access to funding that supports Instructional Assistants, who are critical to ensuring our students have access to small group instruction for extra help and enrichment. Don’t forget that each year all of our students have access to music instruction due in part from the generous support of IPSF to all schools in IUSD. Your financial support of IPSF matters to each one of our Stone Creek students. Please help continue enriching our students’ educational experiences and join the countless parents who have generously donated to IPSF!
Principal, Stonecreek Elementary School
IPSF continues to be a true champion in enriching the educational experience of each and every child here at Stonegate Elementary. By partnering with IPSF, we are able to raise funds and leverage these resources to provide enriching educational programs that are grounded in educational excellence and real-world experiences. Last year, Stonegate was awarded a $10,000 grant to fund technology resources for our innovation lab! This space was designed to be a powerful learning environment to promote greater collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and innovation to ultimately meet the needs of 21 century learners.
Principal, Stonegate Elementary School
Turtle Rock Elementary
IPSF is a benefactor of our arts and music programs. Also, with IPSF support, Turtle Rock has a very large and successful Afterschool Classroom Enrichment Program (ACE). These classes extend the learning day and provide choices for students who would like to explore specialized interests. The class offerings include athletics, fine arts, engineering, biomedical…and many more! This school year IPSF generously provided STEAM Activity boxes to be used as classroom incentives for students, helping provide additional STEAM learning opportunities for students at home. We are so appreciative of the support that IPSF gives to the Turtle Rock Community and the Irvine Unified School District.
Principal, Turtle Rock Elementary School
University High School
Partnerships and collaborative efforts are what make quality education a reality. As our school staff attempts to construct programs and classes that meet the needs of a growing variety of student learners, the funding provided by IPSF is crucial. The opportunities that IPSF provides have a significant and long-lasting impact on students. IPSF funding allows us to serve kids in several ways at Uni including:
• Offering additional courses in our master schedule including classes of high interest of our students and classes especially designed to meet the needs of diverse learning – many times these classes are run at smaller numbers which is only possible with the additional funding from IPSF
• We have a qualified athletic trainer that provides a crucial level of safety for our student athletes who push themselves hard throughout the year. With my own two sons playing football at another high school, I know first-hand the crucial need met by our trainers.
• Recently, our Drama program was supported through an IPSF Innovative Grant
• Our school has been the recipient of three Mega Grants that are funded up to $20,000. These funds allowed us to build up our Engineering experience for many students and our band program expanded their outreach to 8th grade students with new types of instruments that had not been available previously. We hope you continue to support IPSF because of all the ways they improve learning for our kids.
Kevin Astor, Ed.D.
Principal, University High School
University Park Elementary
We are so grateful for our continuing partnership with the Irvine Public School Foundation. IPSF generously provides funding for 50 hours per week of instructional aid support in our classrooms (PK-6th grade). With additional support in the classroom, teachers have the time to provide students with enrichment opportunities and support students who may need more instruction in literacy, math, or English language development. IPSF also provides quality music instruction for our K-3rd grade students, which is funded entirely by parent and community donations to IPSF. Finally, our UP students have access to excellent enrichment programs through IPSF’s Afterschool Classroom Enrichment (ACE) program and summer camps.
Principal, University Park Elementary School
Venado Middle School
We are so grateful for the partnership we have with IPSF. This partnership has made it possible to take on projects at Venado that we might not otherwise be able to do on our own. Venado has been the recipient of a number of IPSF grants in recent years that have made a meaningful impact at our school. We have received grant funding that put sound amplification systems in classrooms; funds to help modernize our library; and, most recently funds to help upgrade the audio/visual equipment in the Knights Plaza, our multipurpose room. Additionally, IPSF provides Venado with a class teaching section. Finally, our Afterschool Classroom Enrichment (ACE) program offers students a wide variety of classes to take after school throughout the year and is only possible with the generous support from IPSF. We truly appreciate IPSF for their continued and strong support.
Principal, Venado Middle School
Vista Verde K-8
IPSF’s support of the visual and performing arts, particularly our vocal, strings, and winds programs, allows us to maximize teacher instructional contact with students. Since we serve students K-8, this allows us to serve ALL kids in an impactful way! At Vista Verde K-8 School, we value the impact IPSF makes in providing resources for classroom support across our nine grade levels, especially with instructional aide allocations and support. IPSF’s support for After-school Classroom Enrichment (ACE) Classes provides quality enrichment opportunities by offering after school courses that hit a variety of student interests—from art to cooking and more! And, more exciting news: VVK8 was awarded an IPSF $20,000 Mega Grant VEX IQ Robotics Lab for upper grade elementary students in 2021! Thank you, IPSF!
Principal, Vista Verde School
IPSF makes a dynamic impact at Westpark! During the school day, in core academic areas, additional staff, funded by IPSF, lower our class sizes and allow us to provide systematic, targeted instruction to students. After school, our students can be found learning hip hop, chess, robotics, public speaking, yoga, cooking and more, thanks to our amazing ACE classes. This spring, Westpark was awarded an IPSF Innovation Grant to support our students in creating real world products – we look forward to seeing what they will create! We are lucky to have this amazing resource!
Principal, Westpark Elementary School
Woodbridge High School
We do everything we can each year to balance the need to keep our class sizes low and still offer enough classes to give students access to all of the courses we can offer. Through the additional staffing made possible through IPSF funds Woodbridge High School was able to start the year meeting both goals. The partnership we have with them has become an essential component of continually offering the quality of program our community has come to expect. Funding from IPSF’s Innovative Grants Program have also allowed us to expand and innovate in our Woodbridge Makerspace. From mental health support in our classrooms, to athletic trainers on the sidelines of our fields, and STEAM opportunities for our courses, this quality of support and enrichment would not be possible without the support of IPSF.
Principal, Woodbridge High School
The contributions and support Woodbury receives from IPSF make a huge impact on our students. Past IPSF’s Mega Innovation Grants have allowed us to expand our STEAM Innovation Labs into an outdoor workspace equipped with a water source, shade structures, flexible seating and have provided sound amplification systems for every classroom. Additionally, IPSF’s ACE program offers our students a wide range of afterschool programs like performing in a musical, running with our Mustang Miler Club, and producing live newscasts. I know of no other school district in Orange County offering these kinds of student opportunities on such an advanced level.
Principal, Woodbury Elementary School