Grant Supports Oracle School District’s Kindergarten Prep Program
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
The Oracle School District provides a Kindergarten Preparation program free of charge to all three- and four-year-old children living in the district. Half-day classes are held at Mountain Vista Elementary School. Since pre-kindergarten education is not funded by the State of Arizona, this program is jointly sponsored and funded by the Oracle Schools Foundation (OSF) and the Oracle School District. The district serves children living in Oracle, unincorporated Oracle, Willow Springs, Falcon Valley, and Eagle Crest Ranch.
The district provides the facilities, busing, and staff for the classes. Oracle Schools Foundation raises funds to provide scholarships for students to attend the program. Since its inception in 2015, OSF has been raising funds from individuals and organizations that support early childhood education. In October, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach awarded a $10,000 grant to OSF to fund five scholarships for the entire 10-month 2024-25 school year.
Many people think pre-kindergarten isn’t a critical part of an elementary school education. But they’re wrong. Early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make in a child’s future and that of our community. Research shows that providing a high-quality education for children before they turn five produces significant, long-term benefits:
• Young people who were in pre-K programs are more likely to graduate from high school, to own homes, and have longer marriages.
• They are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or later get into trouble with the law.
Early childhood education also makes good economic sense. A Federal Reserve Bank official estimates that, adjusting for inflation, pre-K education delivers a 12% return on investment.
Pre-K education delivers such great results by promoting an enthusiasm for lifelong learning right when children are most eager and able to learn. They begin to value education through their own experiences and the behavior of others.
It helps children develop socially as they make friends and learn how to share, cooperate, and respect others. They also acquire patience as they learn to wait their turn. Students experience successes and failures in a safe and fair environment. This helps them develop the coping strategies needed when facing greater life challenges.
Through opportunities to listen, follow directions, attend to tasks, and participate in group activities, students develop the critical life skill of concentration. Over time, they gain confidence, optimism, and self-esteem, which encourages them to explore their talents, skills, and interests. By helping to build a strong foundation for a child’s emotional, social, physical, and mental development, pre-K education is preparation for a lifetime.
Every child deserves to have a pre-K education. This is especially true for those whose families cannot afford private kindergarten prep programs. SaddleBrooke Community Outreach is pleased to support Oracle Schools Foundation’s efforts to provide every child in the Oracle School District with an early childhood education. These children are a vital part of our community, state, and nation. Together we can help them become healthy, happy, and productive adults who pass along this positive legacy to their own children.
Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Child Programs Are Now SBCO Holiday Adopt Program!
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
Since 2007, the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-a-Child programs have provided hand-picked and carefully wrapped Christmas gifts for families in Oracle, San Manuel, Mammoth, and Apache children on the San Carlos Reservation. This year’s program is called the SBCO Holiday Adopt Program. In recent years, the program has grown to annually assist about 150 families and 230 Apache children. SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents provide the money and volunteer services required to make this program such a great success.
The SBCO Holiday Adopt Program is proud to support families whose children are enrolled in school districts in nearby Copper Corridor communities. Several units within SaddleBrooke have been a part of these programs for many years. We hope to have additional units join in this sharing opportunity in 2024. If you, your group, or your unit wishes to adopt a family or families in nearby Copper Corridor communities, please contact Kim Seales at [email protected]. Volunteers are also needed to help shop and wrap gifts for delivery. Likewise, contact Maggie DeBlock at [email protected] if you prefer to adopt an Apache child or children. In addition, volunteers are needed for loading and unloading the wrapped gifts.
As always, SaddleBrooke residents are encouraged to donate to the program. Since SBCO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (tax ID #86-0843458), all contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Please contribute by Nov. 22.
There are three ways to contribute:
1. By credit card online at community-outreach.org by clicking the SBCO Holiday Adopt button on the lower center of the Home page, then clicking “Click Here to Donate Online” and filling in the information on the Donation page (including your unit number).
2. Send or take a check payable to SBCO (with “SBCO Holiday Adopt” and your unit noted on the check) directly to the SBCO office at 63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L, Tucson, AZ 85739 (in the SaddleBrooke Business Complex).
3. If you have a representative who is coordinating the SBCO Holiday Adopt Program for your unit, you may give the check to them.
Donate to SBCO and Make a Difference in the Lives of Local Children
Nancy McCluskey-Moore
For more than 26 years, SaddleBrooke Community Outreach has been providing young people in local communities with opportunities to succeed through programs that provide food, clothing, enrichment grants, and scholarships. We serve youngsters living in the Copper Corridor (mining towns stretching across more than 100 miles from Catalina to Globe).
Programs implemented by our all-volunteer organization include the following:
Food: Our annual food drive collects funds (and donated food) for the Tri-Community Food Bank, and we deliver holiday food baskets to families in Oracle, San Manuel, and Mammoth.
Kids’ Closet: Twice a year, children from pre-K through 8th grade receive new shoes, clothing, and toiletries, plus a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies.
Teen Closet: Twice a year, students from 9th through 12th grade receive a $250 shopping budget for clothing and school supplies. Graduating seniors receive an additional shopping trip to prepare for college or work.
Education Enrichment: Grants are given to schools and community organizations to supplement the school curriculum with instructional experiences in science, math, and the arts, as well as summer school, books, and recreational opportunities.
Scholarships: We grant two- and four-year college scholarships to deserving high school seniors. Students in a two-year program receive $1,800 per year, and those in a four-year program receive $3,600. Since 2001, we have granted 678 scholarships!
Holiday Adopt: Annually, this program collects funds from SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents, which volunteers then use to purchase, wrap, and deliver gifts (or gift cards) to families in Oracle, San Manuel, and the parents/guardians of children attending elementary schools in Oracle, San Manuel, Kearny, Winkelman, San Carlos, and Apache Tribal Social Services.
Your financial contribution to SBCO can make a big difference in many children’s lives. Since SBCO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (tax ID #86-0843458), all contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Contributions are also eligible for the Arizona Tax Credit for Contributions to Charities that Provide Assistance to the Working Poor.
Your donation will be acknowledged. If you make a gift on behalf of a friend or family member, in memory of a special person, or in honor of an event or person, an acknowledgement also will be sent to the appropriate person or his/her family.
You can make a secure online donation at community-outreach.org using your credit or debit card, or a donation can be made by delivering or sending a check made payable to SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (or SBCO) to:
SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, Inc.
63675 E. SaddleBrooke Blvd., Suite L.
Tucson, AZ 85739
On behalf of many local children, we thank you for your support!