MEDIA ADVISORY - Masons Kickoff Public Schools Month with $161,000 Donation

MEDIA ADVISORY from the San Diego Unified School District, March 25, 2013

PUBLIC SCHOOLS MONTH KICKOFF CELEBRATION
California Masons Celebrate Public Schools Month by Donating $161,000 to Support Teachers and Students at San Diego Public Schools

Note to Editors and Reporters: This event is being held on one of our campuses in partnership with the Masons of California. You are invited and welcome to attend.

What: San Diego public schools will receive a generous donation from the Masons of California. Local Masons on the fraternity's Public Schools Advisory Council will present district administrators with $161,000 in support of local teachers and students. The donation is part of the Masons' commitment to making a profound difference for public education throughout the state.

The Masons of California have helped make public education a focal issue in California since their 1920 introduction of Public Schools Week, now celebrated statewide as Public Schools Month each April. The donation to support teachers and students at San Diego public schools is presented as part of the fraternity's annual Public Schools Month kickoff celebration. Events will be held throughout California this spring, with statewide donations amounting to more than $750,000.

When: Wednesday, March 27, 2013
8:30 a.m. school tours
9:30 a.m. program

Where: Cherokee Point Elementary School
3735 38th Street
San Diego, CA 92105

Details: The Masons of California have helped make public education a focal issue in California since their 1920 introduction of Public Schools Week, now celebrated statewide as Public Schools Month each April. The donation to support teachers and students at San Diego public schools is presented as part of the fraternity's annual Public Schools Month kickoff celebration. Events will be held throughout California this spring, with statewide donations amounting to more than $750,000. The local chapter of the Masons of California will present San Diego public schools with a check for $161,000. The checks presented at this year's Public Schools Month kickoff celebrations will provide funding for the fraternity's statewide public education initiatives:

Through the Raising A Reader Literacy Partnership, California Masons are bringing the award-winning Raising A Reader literacy and family engagement program to elementary school classrooms in the lowest- performing public schools throughout the state, building strong family relationships and creating a new legacy of literacy. Masons' donations are enabling this acclaimed program to reach thousands of California public school students for the first time.

The fraternity's Investment in Success Scholarship Program, which launched in 2011, provides college scholarships for deserving high school seniors who demonstrate an active pursuit of education in spite of significant obstacles. Students who receive these scholarships demonstrate exemplary character, drive, and scholastic potential, despite challenges in their homes or communities.

Parking: Parking is available in the school lot, on the street near the school, and at the Copley YMCA just south of the school.

Photo opportunities and school tours will be available.

About the Masons of California

Freemasonry is the world's first and largest fraternal organization, based on the belief that a man who strives to improve himself can also improve his community and the world at large. The Masons of California have more than 60,000 members and about 340 lodges located throughout the state. The California Masonic Foundation is committed to making a profound difference for our communities, and touches the lives of thousands of Californians each year. Learn more at www.freemason.org and follow us on Twitter. You can also visit us on Facebook and YouTube.

To learn more about the Masons of California/Raising A Reader partnership, please visit: http://www.freemason.org/RaisingAReader or contact the California Masonic Foundation at foundation@freemason.org .

Mason Contact: Jessica Mausner, Manager of Education and Community Programs, 415.292.9139, jmausner@freemason.org
Local Media Contact: Linda Zintz, San Diego Unified Communications Director, 619. 725.5578 or 619.847.6637 (day of event), lzintz@sandi.net

# # # #
You are a subscriber to the news release mailing list for the San Diego Unified School District. To unsubscribe, send a message to "media@lists-sandi-net" with the word "unsubscribe" in the body of the message. For an archive of these releases, go to http://sdusd-news.blogspot.com/