UNIVERSITY CITY HIGH SCHOOL
Dear Friend of University City High School:
Did you know that University City High School overcomes enormous challenges every day? Consider that in 2005, 50% of University City High School students lived below the poverty line. Yet 65% of UCHS graduates go on to college. The job placement rate for vocational education students is 85%. Among its 215 graduates, the University City High School Class of 2005 can claim among its ranks one U.S. Presidential Scholar, seven valedictorians, one salutatorian, and a bevy of National Merit Scholarship program finalists and commended scholars. In 2004 five seniors from UCHS were among the nation's top scholastically talented in the National Merit Scholarship Program. UCHS has more than 100 students that are annually recognized as St. Louis Post-Dispatch straight "A" students.
Poverty and Student Achievement
In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education released another report reminding us that there is a significant gap in student achievement between high and low poverty schools (See School Poverty and Academic Performance: NEAP Achievement in High-Poverty Schools, at www.ed.gov.). In general, students don't do as well if they attend schools where the majority of students are poor. Students from poor families are less likely to succeed in school for a variety of reasons, for example there are fewer resources at home to assist them in being ready to learn; students often feel alienated from the school and community. Schools that have families with diverse incomes perform at a higher level than schools with high concentrations of poverty.
To guarantee the future of University City schools, the community must work hard to ensure that UCHS has the resources it needs to be a "shining city on a hill" that attracts families from all backgrounds. UCHS must be the place where students from impoverished homes get the help, encouragement and skills they need; it must also be a school that gives all parents confidence that expectations are high for all students, the courses and activities are challenging and varied, and the facilities are first-rate.
Demand-Based Education Reform
Project Appleseed is a University City based nonprofit organization that helps our schools by concentrating the community on school improvement. Our role is to serve as an advocate and a catalyst on the most important issues facing our schools. Project Appleseed provides information, planning and leadership on key school improvement issues everyday - to parents, alumni, grandparents, and caring adults in University City and beyond - via the Internet. These are the issues that Appleseed advocates as priorities:
Increasing parental involvement
Seed Money to Rebuild University City High School
The condition of UCHS does have a measurable effect on student achievement and student behavior. Studies support what educators consider to be common sense: Students do better when they hear well, see well and are not packed into tight spaces. Noise, light, air quality, cold and heat have all been found to influence behavior.
Project Appleseed is coordinating a privately financed 10 year modernization of University City High School. Alumni and parents want to make a difference at University City High School. They want to support efforts near and dear to their hearts and they do not believe that their support should ever take the place of public support. Basic funding for UCHS comes from the general public. I
n our campaign, we make the point that private gifts help us create a margin of excellence.
The 'new' University City High School will be accessible - day and night and all year round - to the entire community. UCHS will serve a variety of community needs in partnership with a wide array of public, civic, and private organizations. Smarter designs for the new and renovated space in UCHS will accommodate direct community access to spaces like the planned recreation facility, new library, updated athletic and recreational fields, auditorium, and performing arts space. The academic wings of the building will be renovated and air-conditioned - finally - giving each academic department room in which they can comfortably teach and learn.
Challenge Gifts to Complete the Planning Work
We need your seed money support as we continue to move forward. Project Appleseed has selected experts in facility design and capital campaigns to develop the most unique recreation facility in the St. Louis region. To date our total costs amount to $200,000.00. We must raise these funds as soon as possible to meet current project needs. To meet this challenge we are asking for gifts that will help fund our effort to communicate with over 13,000 known alumni, and to complete the facility impact study and capital campaign plan.
We invite you to support Project Appleseed and join the James E. Baker Honor Roll of donors. Mail a tax-deductible donation today. We will post your name and contribution on our web site - if it's OK with you - as a thank you for your support. If you are an alumni of UCHS, your DIAL Yearbook picture will also be posted!
It's time to send a dramatic message of hope and encouragement to every child in University City in the 21st century: We believe you deserve a modern, safe, disciplined environment in which to grow and learn.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this request and we hope to hear from you soon. Be sure to forward this email to a UCHS friend!
Sincerely,Kevin Walker President Project Appleseed
P.S. Check and see if we have your picture on our web site! Details about the renovation plans for University City High School and pictures of donors are displayed in the James E. Baker Annual Fund Honor Roll at www.projectappleseed.org/ucity.html. Would you like to volunteer? We need alumni volunteers to call other members of their classes. If you can help email us at ucityparents@projectappleseed.org.
