The Annual Fund 2023-24

"BUILDING COMMUNITY"

Dear Families and Friends of HCS,

When choosing a focus for our work this year as Officers of The Friends of Hoboken Charter School, two words stood out as most important to us: Building and Community.  You have probably seen our logo above enhanced with this verbiage. Why are these two words so important? Because both our Building and our Community need your help to continue to thrive and grow.

Building

Our Building is the true brick and mortar walls that form our physical space and provide a forum for the academic growth of our children and a place that we take pride in and are proud to send our kids to in the Hoboken community at large. It’s a space where our children go every school day to engage in mission centered learning with a commitment to academic excellence and the pursuit of personal responsibility and growth as a member of society.

Community

Our Community is comprised of students, parents, teachers and staff all working together to make the HCS mission come to life each and every school day. It’s the K-12 community of learners that through the four pillars of learning grow and solidify a commitment to social justice and service-learning. It’s the parents who know each other and feel connected to each other through a vibrant school community bustling with opportunities to engage and connect. It’s the teachers and staff who feel appreciated and respected for choosing to work at a charter school where pay scales may be less than BOE scales, but the opportunity to engage with students on a deeper level through mission centered activities along with the full support of parents and staff drives their commitment to HCS.

How Can We Support Both of These Areas?

For our Buildings, the need is great especially for the Lower and Middle School building.  An overhaul of the HVAC system is planned so our children will have clean air to breathe in addition to a trustworthy heating and cooling system. In addition, there is a need for new windows and facade repairs to the basement due to damage from rain and flooding over time.

For our Community, funds are needed to continue to provide technology upgrades for our students, professional development for our teachers and staff, enrichment opportunities including special events, artists in residence, field trips and after school programs, and most importantly to ensure equitable access for all students and families across all income levels.

What is the Cost?

Take a look at our breakdown in the graphic above. We have set a goal of 150,000 for the 2023-24 school year.  While this is not the total cost of all the projects that need funding, we will continue to raise funds through a multi-year development process.

Our Question for you as Parents: What does “Building Community” mean to you?

We hope you will see how a space with clean air and repaired windows along with a thriving community of students, parents, teachers, and staff can help Hoboken Charter School be the best it can be and fulfill its mission of being a K-12 community committed to social justice and service-learning grounded in learner-centered practices.

What are we doing as Officers of FOHCS?

As part of our commitment to this initiative, the Friends kicked off this school year with an investment in the backyard courtyard area with new plantings, turf, and mulch to give the kids a place to be surrounded by the beauty of nature. We also continue to work to improve our buildings and community throughout the school year with events for everyone and opportunities to raise funds for our beloved school.

We hope you will join us in our “Building Community” initiative this year by giving to the Annual Fund any financial gift that is feasible for your family. No amount is too small to make a difference for our community of teachers, staff, parents, and most importantly our children.

With sincere gratitude,

The Officers of The Friends of Hoboken Charter School

Raina Fernandes, President

Jenna Madden, Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Meghan Hagberg, Secretary

Nastassia Koyfman, Class Parent Lead and Alumni Lead