SCHOOL NOTES

THE MBEF NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED QUARTERLY SCHOOL VOL. III, JULY 2006 NOTES 2006: Another Vintage Year for MBEF THIS YEAR’S WINE tradition for many people. AUCTION, held June 10th at Jeff Thaler, a Chair for the the Manhattan Country past four years, thinks the Club, broke its own record secret to its success lies in its by raising nearly $500,000 relaxed atmosphere. for the Manhattan Beach “Obviously, this is an Education Foundation. occasion for everyone to Parents, local businesses enjoy great wine and food, and community leaders but even more than that, it’s showed us once again how about sharing time with great They supplied the oysters, we got the pearls: Nearly half a much we can achieve when friends and neighbors.” we come together for a com- million dollars raised for the schools. Since 2002, the Wine mon purpose. Over 100 restaurants and winerAuction has raised over $1.5 million for our ies, 38 corporate sponsors and supporters, and community. Staging it requires enormous dozens of individual volunteers worked to make amounts of time and this a fun-filled dedication, and there evening for the is no way we could 1,200 ever appropriately attendees. thank And they everyone in turn who Cathy Berg, American Airlines, and Rod Spackman, Chevron. rewarded helped Carlos Lopes, Grace Manning and Mayor Antonio Villagairosa enjoy the festivities. our schools make this year such a success. and our children with their generosity. But on the next page we will try The Wine Auction, now in its 12th to mention a few of the hundreds year, has become a highly-anticipated A great time, for a great cause. who help us make a difference. MBEF Grants $2.2 Million to School Programs for 2006-2007 Mira Costa High School Two Teachers Librarian Technology Specialists College & Career Counselor Security Personnel Office Specialist Intervention Counselor Model U.N. G.R.A.D. Nite Manhattan Beach Middle School Student Advisor One Teacher Instrumental Music Assistant Choral Music Accompanist Librarian Physical Education Assistant Clerical & Health Assistants Noon Supervision Scholar Quiz Young at Art Elementary Schools Physical Education Teachers Librarians Computer Specialists Education Support Specialists Instructional Assistants, 4th Grade Instructional Assistants, 5th Grade Clerical & Health Assistants Instrumental Music Teachers National Teacher Certification Young at Art THE MBEF NEWSLETTER. SCHOOL NOTES VOL. III, JULY 2006 Thank You for Making the 2006 Manhattan Wine Auction a Great Success! OUR SPONSORS Chevron, Founding Sponsor Manhattan Country Club American Airlines The Pipkin Family OUR PLATINUM SUPPORTERS Carlos Lopes, Hotel Bel Air Wells Fargo Wine Advisory Board OUR GOLD SUPPORTERS Commercial Capital Bank, Continental Development Corporation, Prosum Technology Consulting Group, Raytheon, Katerndahl Family, Rob & Danielle Freedman/Villa d’Arte Development, Smith Barney, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Vineyard Bank OUR CORPORATE SUPPORTERS 1-800 Dentist, Bancroft Capital, Carrier Family, City AdWorks, City National Bank, Clurman/Zimbalist, Everpure, First Coastal Bank, Insync Media/Weber Printing, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Kripalani Family, Lauzon & Euler, LLP, Leonard Green & Partners, Look Optometry/SageView Advisory Group, Lovelace Family, Manhattan Village Shopping Center, Merrill Lynch, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, Northrop Grumman, RBC Dain Rauscher, Sloves Family, South Bay Brokers, Spectrum Club WINE ADVISORY BOARD Grand Sommelier Level $10,000 and above: Rich Weiss & Ginny Sogomonian Sommelier Level $8,000 to $9,999: Quinn and Cathy Barrow Grand Cru Level $6,000 to $7,999: Ron & Martha Doornink Premier Cru Level $4,500 to $5,999: Jeff & Sheryl Thaler, Randy & Elaine Dotemoto, John & Jeanne Oshiro, John & Kim Petri Bordeaux Level $3,000 to $4,499: George & Penny Bordokas, Mark & Michele Kordonsky, Brad & Joan Jones, Greg & Michelle Rosen, Chuck & Wanda Kaminski, Nick & Valerie Tell Burgundy Level $2,000 to $2,999: Gregg & Christine Tenser, Scott Gautier & Kelly Frazier, Jon & Kim Friedman, Jim & Erin Keller, Andrew & Erin Sloves Rhone Level $1,000 to $1,999: Jim & Leslie Haney, Tom & Joan Hastings, Ken & Lisa Baronsky, Adam & Rita Goldston, Gregory Meyer, Russell & Erin Rothner, Jeff Konsmo & Lily Chang, Marc & Melissa Cohen, Charles & Liana Schlissel, Dann & Carole Allen, Matthew & Heather Stevens, Matt Peck & Maggie Movius Alsace Level $500 to $999: Dave & Jackie James, Tom & Tammy Irvin,Robert Porter, Steve & Lynn Johnson, Tony & Victoria Perez, Joe & Jill Lamkin, Geoff & Chris Bremer, Mike & Sherolyn Duckworth, Robert & Christine Daviduk, Richard & Antoinette Gronback, Mike & Rae Dunitz Loire Level Up to $500: Ian & Sherry Kramer, Tim & Susan Ottinger, Bruce Kordic, Rob & Sheri Lietzow, Richard Zoraster, Bobby Akin OUR PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS Bluewater Grill, Bora Bora, Buona Vita, Café Pierre, Chefmakers, Chicago for Ribs, Creative Cakery, Daily Grill, Everpure,Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Fox Hollow Coffee, Hansen’s Beverage Company, Il Boccacio, Il Fornaio, Jackson’s Village Bistro, Junior’s Deli Boys, La Creperie Café, LA Food Show, Lickity Split, Lido Restaurant, Lido Bakery, Manhattan Country Club, McCormick & Schmick’s, My Smart Cookie, Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant, Pomodoro Cucina Italiana, Rock N Fish, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Second City Bistro, The Shore Restaurant & Lounge, Towne Restaurant,Vibe @ The Belamar Hotel, Zazou SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE WINERIES & DONORS! THE MBEF NEWSLETTER. SCHOOL NOTES VOL. III, JULY 2006 MBEF MAKES AN EXECUTIVE DECISION, AND DECIDES ON CLAIRE CLURMAN. IN MID-APRIL, CLAIRE CLURMAN became MBEF’s first Executive Director. Claire comes to us with a strong background in marketing and business management, having worked at DDB/Needham Advertising in New York and as a Marketing Director and Marketing Consultant for Head Racquet Sports and Volant Ski Company respectively in Boulder, Colorado. She also has a wide-ranging background with non-profit fundraising stemming from her work with Boulder Country Day School, the March of Dimes and New Canaan Cares, a community service organization. She, her husband and three school-aged children moved to Manhattan Beach two years ago, and she has been actively involved in PTAs, MBEF and other community activities from the beginning. Claire will offer an important adjunct to our strong volunteer base. As a full-time employee, she will have the time to manage the day-to-day activities of an organization that in just 4 years has increased its grants 550% to over $2.2 million. Claire will focus on coordinating MBEF fund-raising efforts, considering ways to increase our endowment and helping the board develop and implement a long-term strategic plan. She will work closely with the MBEF Executive Board and Event and other chairs. As one of the largest education foundations in California, MBEF was one of the last to add a paid Executive Director. We were able to defer this decision for so long because of the dedication of our volunteers, but we felt that it was time to add a professional manager. We believed that we were in a position to make this decision because we could pay the new salary without tapping our Annual Appeal revenue and because our total administrative expenses would remain at a low level. We interviewed six candidates from over 28 applications. Claire was the clear favorite of everyone on the hiring committee. Claire has already proved her value by immersing herself in the Wine Auction and the planning of next year’s Annual Appeal. Welcome Claire. We are glad you are here. Onward and Upward Costa Kudos IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED, Mira Costa students have garnered a lot of accolades this year. Take a look! * Newsweek Magazine ranked Mira Costa 205 in its list of “1,200 Top U.S. Schools.” * API scores went up 28 points from 818 to 846. * The state rated MCHS a 10 out of 10 when compared to other high schools. * 96.7% of Costa’s graduating seniors will be attending college in the fall– including one at Brown, two at Cornell, one at Harvard, one at Princeton, two at Yale and three at Stanford! For a more detailed look at where Mira Costa seniors are going, check out the website at www.mchs.manhattan.k12.ca.us. Follow the links to the College and Career Center, and then to “College Statistics 2006.” THE MBEF NEWSLETTER. SCHOOL NOTES VOL. III, JULY 2006 DID YOU MAKE THE HONOR ROLL? If you did, congratulations and thank you!! If you didn’t, don’t worry, there’s always next year. The MBEF 2006-2007 Annual Appeal will begin in earnest next month, so please look for your letter in the mail. Thanks to people like you, we were able to increase our grants for academic year 2006-2007 and reinstate full-time elementary P.E. specialists. We want to do more—and it would be our honor to have your help. The Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, 2005-2006 Executive Director: Claire Clurman Executive Board Office Manager: Carolyn Leserman President: Webster Burns Database Manager: Sunni Won Vice President, Operations: Anne McLaughlin Vice President, Fundraising: Ellen Rosenberg Vice President, Communications: Pam Yarbrough Special Thanks To: Mike Pitts, Rae Dunitz, John Secretary: Brian Currey Oshiro, Weber Printing. Treasurer: Geoff Bremer THE MBEF NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED QUARTERLY SCHOOL NOTES SCHOOL NOTES is published by the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, which was founded by parents in 1983 to fund enhancements to the Manhattan Beach public schools. MBEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. MB F Manhattan Beach Education Foundation P O Box 1110, Manhattan Beach, CA 90267 310 303 3342 www.mbef.org MBEF School Notes IN THIS ISSUE A Vintage Year for MBEF A Round of Thanks: Our Wine Auction Sponsors Our New Executive Director Onward and Upward: This Year’s Costa Kudos