Night of Dreams Program

Family Connections
Night of Dreams Tuesday, February 23, 2016


Family Connections
A Parent Child Education Center
Building a Path to Achievement
Join us at one of our monthly Open Houses and see our programs in action!
Family Connections’ staff and board invite you to observe classes in session, tour our campus, and see how we are preparing children and their families for school success.
Go deeper, become involved and support a bright future for children and families!
Please call Suzie Sheedy, Development Director, for more information.
(650) 556-9503 ext. 117 or [email protected]


Evening Events
6:30 Hosted wine & beer reception Raffle ticket and Wine Pull sales
7:15 Doors open for dinner
7:45 Welcome from Night of Dreams Co-Chairs,
Amy & Eric Sahn and Angela & Miguel Espinosa Three-Course Dinner
8:30 Family Connections’ Interim Executive Director, Regina Neu
Raffle winners announced Video Presentation
Master of Ceremonies, the Honorable Joe Simitian, Santa Clara County Supervisor and former California State Senator
Keynote Speaker, Ted Lempert, Executive Director of Children Now
Family Connections’ Parent Speakers, Claudia Cueller, Nancy Torres and Jiobany Recinos
9:15 Fund-a-Need — Directly support our programs for children and their families
9:30 Thank you for attending Family Connections’ 5th Annual Night of Dreams
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Welcome to Family Connections’ Night of Dreams
February 23, 2016 Dear Friends,
It is an honor to welcome you to Family Connections’ 5th Annual Night of Dreams. We invite you to celebrate and support the important work our organization is doing on behalf of our community’s low-income families and their children.
We are excited to be joined this evening
by two Family Connections families as
well as two special guests who know
a great deal about building essential
community partnerships to support
meaningful educational advances. Our Emcee, Joe Simitian, has championed the importance of education as a School Board President, Mayor, County Supervisor, State Assembly Member, and State Senator. Tonight’s keynote speaker, Ted Lempert,
also a respected former State Assembly Member and County Supervisor, is the President of Children Now, a national research and advocacy organization. I know their passion and insights will enlighten our evening together and move us to action on behalf of our community’s underserved children.
Thank you for joining us on our Night of Dreams. Your attendance this evening signals an affinity for our mission. On behalf of our Board of Directors I invite you to explore a deeper partnership with Family Connections. There are many children and families who stand to directly benefit from your investment as a donor, advocate, volunteer or advisor. Your contributions will help us make dreams come true and build brighter futures.
Sincerely,
Nic Kiyasu
President, Board of Directors Family Connections
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Event Sponsors
John and Nancy Jo Cappetta Cargill Salt
The Carter-Atkin Family Debbie and Paul Denton Michelle and Bill Futornick
Angela and Nick Kalayjian Leslie and Matthew Mayerson
Menlo Atherton Cooperative Nursery School
Lee and Kim Scheuer
All-Stars
Dream Makers
Anonymous Andrea and Andy Ballard DJM Capital Partners, Inc.
Angela and Miguel Espinosa Bonnie Matlock and Tod Francis Amy and Eric Sahn
Inspired Believers
Julie and Steve Bram Burlingame Mothers’ Club Nic and Dave Kiyasu
Meg and Stuart McLaughlin Sandy and Mark Moore Seed Mackall, LLP
Creative Achievers
Missy and Rich Bechtel
BKF Engineers
BNBT Builders
Sarah and Du Chai Gretchen and Wally Cheng Kate and Eric Dachs
Philip Dur and Tina Clarke Dur Gene and Maria Frantz
Janet and Richard Hart Joyce and Tatum Real Estate, Dwell Latino Community Foundation
Annie Luetkemeyer and
Ben Coughlin
Patty and Bryant Macy
Karen Manship
Melinda and Rick Osterloh Courtney, Phillips & Associates, CPAS Tamara Pow, Strategy Law LLP San Mateo Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools Chris Schin and Tammy Tompkins The Studio Shop Wilkinson Preservation Team
Scholars
Capiraso Group, Inc. Carlmont Parents Nursery School
Mira and Mike Carrington Chen Financial Group, LLC Steven and Carol Elliott Jack Fitzpatrick
Dani Gasparini and Alyn Beals
James and Jacqui Inglis Picole Lamarre
Little Wonders—A Parent-Child Center
Alisa and Neil MacAvoy Jane P. Relyea
Lindsay and Laurie Parton
Special Thank You
Veronika Gulchin, See My World Photography Lambert Bridge Winery
Susan Powell, Powell Design Group
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Master of Ceremonies
Joe Simitian was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 2012. He represents the Fifth Supervisorial District, which includes Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, and portions
of Sunnyvale and San Jose. He currently serves as Chair of the Finance and Government Operations Committee and Vice Chair of the Health and Hospitals Committee.
Joe’s public service over the years includes stints
as a member of the California State Senate, the
California State Assembly, Mayor of Palo Alto,
President of the Palo Alto School Board, and an
earlier term on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
During his years in the State Legislature, Joe authored landmark legislation on energy, water, environment, education, privacy, elder protection, and highway safety.
Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with academic honors, from The Colorado College. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University; a Master of City Planning degree from the University of California at Berkeley; and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall).
Keynote Speaker
Ted Lempert is the President of Children Now, a
national research and advocacy organization based
in Oakland. A former California State Assembly
member, Mr. Lempert served on several state-wide
education committees and had more than 75 bills
signed by Governors Deukmejian, Wilson and Davis,
including major laws in the areas of education,
health care, children and families, tax policy and
the environment. During his time on the San Mateo
County Board of Supervisors, Mr. Lempert was the
founder of the County’s Youth Commission and
chaired the Task Force on Violence Against Women.
Prior to holding public office, Mr. Lempert was
special counsel and an associate for the law firm
of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton in San Francisco. He has been recognized for his service to the education community by the California School Boards Association, the National Association of Educational Service Agencies, the California Association of School Administrators, California Community College Faculty and the UC and CSU Students Associations. He graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and earned his law degree from Stanford University.
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Family Speaker Bios
Claudia Cueller and her son Chris, now two years old, began coming to Family Connections in 2015. Ten years earlier, Claudia, then eighteen, came to the United States from El Salvador with her ten-year-old brother to reunite with their mother. Claudia developed her English through classes in Menlo Park at what is now JobTrain before working for several restaurants and as
a floral arranger/decorator. When she and her husband, Alfredo, had Chris, Claudia decided care for her son full-time during the day until he turns three while taking classes in the evenings.
Claudia is currently expanding her English education at Cañada College and plans to pursue a degree and a career, allowing her to provide a better future for her family.
Nancy Torres and Angel Jiobany Recinos have two children, Ricky, aged six, and Ana, aged five. Both children have participated in Family Connections’ Preschool. Ricky is also in our Young Scholars Program. Jiobany was born
in Guatemala and has lived in the Bay Area
for more than fifteen years. Jiobany works in construction and is attending English classes in the evening through JobTrain with hopes of one day working in a technical field. Nancy came
to the United States at the age of four with
her parents and has lived locally for more than two decades. As a teenager, her dad encouraged her to do her best in school. Nancy, a bookkeeper, attends Cañada College. She is looking forward to transferring to a four-year university to earn a degree in accounting. Jiobany and his wife, Nancy, were brought together by a common love of music, meeting each other in a Menlo Park choir.
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Dear Eric and Amy,
We are so proud of all you do for Family Connections!
Thank you for providing hope for a brighter future to the students and their families.
With love and admiration, Julie & Steve Bram
(310) 867-2904
10250 Constellation Blvd., Suite 2700
Los Angeles, CA 90067 [email protected] • www.gspartners.com
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The Sahn Family congratulates Family Connection and their Young Scholars program for another great year!
These programs continue to be a vital resource for families in our community.
Keep up the wonderful work.
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Lambert Bridge is a small, family-owned winery located in the heart of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. We craft small-production bottlings of artisanal, Bordeaux-style blends and varietals, each reflecting an individual and distinctive identity that is consistent, vintage to vintage.
Drop by for a wine flight at the tasting bar, reserve a Bordeaux-varietal tasting in our Redwood Barrel Room, picnic in our peaceful gardens, or plan your visit around one of our signature food and wine pairing experiences.
Open daily 10:30am to 4:30pm www.lamberbridge.com 707.431.9600
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Our firm proudly supports
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Thank you, Amy and Eric, for all that you do.
Mergers and Acquisitions
•
Securities Offerings
•
Technology Licensing and Startups
•
Capital Formation Expertise •
Real Estate
•
Estate Planning
•
Employment Law
•
Litigation
Seed Mackall LLP, Santa Barbara’s preeminent business law firm, provides experienced counseling on a wide range of complex business and real estate transactions.
1332 Anacapa Street, Suite 200 • Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-0669
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Mark and Sandy Moore would like to thank the teachers, staff, volunteers, parents, and donors for their ongoing support and commitment to Family Connections!


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It is in honor to celebrate the amazing work that Family Connections does for our community.
Michelle, Bill, Aviva and Shira Futornick
high-density, flexible I.T. colocation solutions in Silicon Valley
http://www.colovore.com/
We are proud to support Family Connections and the Board, staff and honorees of such a great organization.
Tamara B. Pow


The Burlingame Mothers’ Club is pleased to support the work of Family Connections. We celebrate Family Connections’ commitment to enriching the lives of young children and their families. Family Connections is making a difference each and every day and we could not be more proud to be a supporter of their schools, programming and educational goals.
Joyce Romeo & Tatum Clark www.joyceandtatum.com
Joyce: 650-888-4366 • [email protected] Tatum: 650-714-5852 • [email protected]
244 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
650-344-1378
thestudioburlingame.com
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THANK YOU to all the volunteers and community members for their many hours of support for our families and our program.
graphic design • logos • branding brochures • ads • posters • etc
rhinodesignworks.net
Thank you
for attending the 5th Annual Night of Dreams dinner and celebration fund- raiser. Your involvement and support help make dreams come true!
The Family Connections Board & Staff
Bunker Hill Nursery School Carlmont Parents Nursery School
Family Connections
Little Hands
Little Wonders
Open Gate Nursery School Redwood Parents Nursery School Sequoia Parents Nursery School
St. Paul’s Nursery School
United Methodist Church Nursery School Woodside Parents Nursery School


Nic Kiyasu, President Gretchen Cheng, Secretary Sandy Moore, Treasurer Andrea Ballard
Angela Espinosa
Carrie Du Bois Rabbi Nat Ezray Don Horsley Steven Kaufman Fiona Ma
Alisa MacAvoy
2016 Family Connections Board of Directors
Picole Lamarre Angela Kalayjian Karen Manship Nisha Somani
Family Connections Advisory Board
Memo Morantes
John Seybert
Jo-Ann Sockolov
Dr. Sally Stewart
Sister Trinitas Hernandez
2016 Night of Dreams Host Committee
Amy & Eric Sahn, Co-chairs
Angela & Miguel Espinosa, Co-chairs Debbie Denton
Philip Dur and Tina Clarke Dur Cathy Guglielmi
Annie Luetkemeyer
Alisa MacAvoy
All of our Wine Pull Donors Andrea and Andy Ballard Tim Barn Vineyards
John Bentley’s
Angela and Miguel Espinosa Lambert Bridge Winery Sandy and Mark Moore
Brightlighter Productions Capiraso Group, Inc
Jon Emerson Productions, Inc. Susana Lerner, Susler Sales
Bonnie Matlock Mireille McKee Patty Macy Leslie Mayerson Meg McLaughlin Joyce Romeo Aimee Swanson
In-kind Donors
Oakland A’s
Rosewood Sand Hill
San Francisco Giants Sheraton Palo Alto Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry Westin Palo Alto
Special Thanks
Jen Maravillas, Stella & Dot
Jill Reinemann, Rhino Design Works Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club
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Vision
Our vision is that whole communities thrive when children and parents— regardless of their circumstances—are educated and supported to reach their greatest potential.
Mission
Our mission is to provide underserved children, their families, and their communities with the early childhood education and ongoing support they need to grow, dream, and achieve.
About Family Connections
Family Connections provides educational services to low-income families including tuition-free preschool, parent education, links to community services as well as support to children and their parents throughout K-12, building a path to achievement and giving them the tools and resources they need for success.
Over 600 individuals, many of whom are English learners, attend Family Connections annually at our three Northern California locations in East Palo Alto, East Menlo Park and Redwood City.
Founded in 1993, Family Connections has instilled a culture of learning for thousands of children and parents. We empower parents to become active participants in their child’s education, while their children gain the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
Board & Staff
Lorena Alcayaga, Case Coordination Supervisor/Teacher Laura Ambrose, Teacher
Betsy Carter, Volunteer Coordinator
Vanessa Drebin, Substitute Teacher
Yareni Hernandez, Parent Recruiter
Arely Huitron, Registrar
Angela Jaime, Teacher
Yadira Mederos de Cardenas, Teacher
Stephanie Moody, Information and Technology Coordinator Ruth Pinkus-Resnik, Education Director
Marsha Quita, Program Administrative Assistant Suzie Sheedy, Development Director
Amelia Stone, Development Administrator Margarita Ventura, Teacher
Carrie Wolk, Substitute Teacher
Lynette York, Finance Director
Miriam Yupanqui, Young Scholars Program Coordinator Regina Neu, Interim Executive Director
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Family Connections
A Parent Child Education Center
Building a Path to Achievement
Equality in Education
We believe all individuals should have equal access to high quality education that includes opportunities for growth and success regardless of socio-economic status.
Building from Strength
We value a strength-based approach to supporting our families, staff and board that builds on their talents and abilities as a way to foster confidence, growth and success.
Empowering Families
We empower the families we serve by connecting them to community resources and encouraging lifelong learning.
Advocating for Children
With each child’s best interest at heart, we partner with parents to build the passion and determination needed to be advocates for their children.
Collaborating with the Community
We collaborate with members of our community in an effort to provide the best ideas, resources and services to better serve our children and families.
Honoring Diversity
We value diversity and we respect the traditions, heritages and experiences of our families, staff, board and volunteers.
VALUES STATEMENT


CLASSROOM LOCATIONS
Belle Haven Elementary School Site
415 Ivy Drive, P16
(corner of Chilco Street & Hamilton Avenue) Menlo Park, CA 94025
East Palo Alto Site
1070 Beech Street
(corner of Beech and Pulgas Avenue) East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Redwood City Site
414 Fourth Avenue
(off Middlefield Road) Redwood City, CA 94063
www.facebook.com/ peninsulafamilyconnections
www.familyconnections.org 650-369-6467
Family Connections P.O. Box 358
San Carlos, CA 94070
Family Connections is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) Tax I.D. #94-3315163