Phase 2 - Science Lab and 5th Grade Classroom Expansion
$217,000 Still Needed to Reach Phase 2 Goal of $1,135,000

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The Campaign for Unquowa is a multi-year effort to raise $3 million for the school’s endowment and campus improvement projects. By breaking the projects into phases, the Board has made it possible for these exciting renovations to happen as soon as possible.

We completed Phase 1 last summer – the renovation of the playing field and the installation of a new roof. The academic spaces transformed through the next phase will have a tremendous impact on our program, especially on the science curriculum. We need to reach our Phase 2 goal by April 30th in order to complete the next round of  projects this summer… but we won’t get there without your support.

By making your three year pledge to The Campaign for Unquowa now you will significantly impact the school’s ability to complete Phase 2 this summer. Join the many parents, alumni, grandparents and former families who have already shown their support for these projects and for the school.

Please see Sharon Lauer or Kate Haviland in the Development Office for additional information.

“We do labs every day in Upper School science. These improvements to the lab space will allow kids to conduct multi-day experiments in all areas of scientific study. Having a greenhouse in the lab will let them explore the connections between botany, chemistry and genetics.”
– Craig Knebel, Upper School Science Teacher

“We believe that science touches everything. We’re excited to help create an environment that will further stimulate the children’s curiosity and love of the sciences at Unquowa.”
– Steve and Joan Panagos, Donors Who Have “Named” the Upper School Science Lab

“Learning by doing has always been the hallmark of our science program. The renovation of our science lab will have a tangible impact on student driven inquiry.”
– Sharon Lauer, Head of School

“The money raised through The Campaign for Unquowa will usher in a new paradigm at our school – one that allows us to stay true to our past while aggressively pursuing our future. Let this be Unquowa’s time.”
– Mark Greenawalt, President of Board of Governors

HOW IS THE CAMPAIGN DIFFERENT FROM THE ANNUAL FUND?
Like every independent school, Unquowa relies on its Annual Fund to provide vital support to the operating budget every year. The Campaign for Unquowa is a multi-year effort to raise $3 million for major objectives that are outside the operating budget – in this case, endowment and carefully identified campus improvements.

At Founders’ Day on October 15, we officially opened the newly renovated playing field with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The clouds cleared away and many of our current students and their families, alumni, former families and friends were on hand to help us celebrate. Head of School, Sharon Lauer thanked Board Chair, Mark Greenawalt and Campaign Chair, Joan Panagos for their leadership and also the generous community members whose tireless work and generous donations made this renovation possible.

Students and alums held a green ribbon around the field, and after a short announcement by Coach Boccamazzo, the ribbon was cut by Coach Burton. Despite the ground being wet from days of rain, over seventy-five players ran onto the field to join in the alumni/student soccer game!

Paul Greenberg, Board member and father of Amy ‘10, took a panoramic photo of the ribbon cutting, which will soon hang at school as a reminder of this tremendous milestone for the entire Unquowa community.

Not long after our Closing and Commencement Ceremonies, the heavy equipment arrived and got to work on the field!

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Unquowa community, The Campaign for Unquowa raised enough this year to tackle two big projects this summer - the replacement of the roof and the renovation of the playing field.

For those of us around school this summer, it has been exciting to watch the bulldozers and backhoes at work and to hear the steady “beep, beep, beep” as they remove the old field and get ready to install the new one. Even more exciting will be watching all of our students enjoying a state of the art playing field when school begins in the fall!

Work on the roof will begin later in July and, while it will be a less visible improvement to our campus, it will have a very real impact on our building’s integrity and efficiency.

If you are in the area we hope you will stop by to check out the progress with the field. Reaching the goal of completing these projects in the first year of Unquowa’s campaign is an exciting milestone for our community and something we can all be proud of.

At the Closing Ceremonies on June 7th, the Presidents of the Unquowa Parents Association (UPA) past and present joined Sharon Lauer on the stage for a special announcement.

With funds raised by the UPA in previous years and held for the right project, the UPA made a remarkable gift of $40,000 to The Campaign for Unquowa. This leadership gift by the school’s parent association is not only generous, but also timely. It puts the school clearly “over the top” for the monies needed to complete the renovation of the playing field this summer.

This gift demonstrates, once again, the enormous commitment the UPA makes each year to working together with Sharon Lauer, the faculty and the Board to strengthen the school for every student and for years to come.

Joining current UPA Co-Presidents Kim Proto and Irene Brennan on the stage for the presentation were past UPA Presidents Marcie Lapido, Joan Panagos, Monica Murray, Marilynn Halas and incoming Co-President, Jennifer Walsh.

Pictured left to right: PE Dept. Chair, LaVern Burton; Athletics Director, Al Boccamazzo; Board President, Mark Greenawalt; Campaign Chair, Joan Panagos and Head of School, Sharon Lauer.

At Friday night’s Athletic Awards celebration Campaign Chair, Joan Panagos, and Board President, Mark Greenawalt, invited Coaches Boccamazzo and Burton to the podium for the following announcement:

“While we are still working hard to gather more commitments to The Campaign for Unquowa before school ends, the Board of Governors and the Campaign Steering Committee are confident now that we will have raised enough to do our first projects this summer.

On behalf of the campaign steering committee, the board and ALL those families and alums who have so generously given already, we are proud to announce that this summer we will be installing a new playing field for our children.

So, we would like you to have this souvenir of our current playing field…because it won’t be here when you return in the fall.”

With those words the coaches were presented with a section of the current field so they can remember how far we’ve come.

We are very excited about this important milestone for our Campaign and the school. As the campaign continues over the next few years, we look forward  to reaching all of our Campaign goals.

On behalf of every Unquowa student, we would like to thank everyone who made this possible!

At our recent Grandparents and Special Friends Day celebration, Sharon Lauer introduced Jill Kelly as not only the grandmother of a current Unquowa fifth grade student, but also as a member of the Unquowa Class of 1945! Jill has stayed in touch with the school over the years, but in her new role as an Unquowa grandparent she has had the opportunity to become more involved.

Jill, pictured here with her husband Henry and her granddaughter Maeve, is excited about the goals of The Campaign for Unquowa and has offered to reach out to all Unquowa grandparents to help spread the word on behalf of the school. At the Grandparents and Special Friends Day celebration she spoke briefly about the goals of the campaign - both strengthening the endowment and making some modest renovations to the campus.

She explained that she will be sending campaign materials to all the grandparents soon and she asked that they please take the time to carefully review them and to consider joining her in supporting their grandchildren’s school.

Thank you, Jill, for your extraordinary efforts to support your alma mater and your granddaughter’s school!

We would like to thank Deirdre and Shane Fitzsimons for their generous gift to The Campaign for Unquowa and for choosing to name the music room once its renovation is complete. Deirdre and Shane understand the importance of early momentum in campaigns and are taking an active role in helping the school reach its goal of raising $3 million. With leadership like theirs, we know we’ll get there soon.

Deirdre and Shane have been enthusiastic supporters of the school since their two oldest children enrolled last fall. This year their two younger sons joined the older ones at Unquowa…so there are now four Fitzsimons Gators!

On behalf of the entire Unquowa community, we would like to thank Deirdre and Shane for their tremendous leadership and support.

We would like to offer a huge Thank You to Joan and Steven Panagos for once again showing their leadership and generosity towards our school by taking on the naming opportunity for the Upper School Science Lab Renovation. Joan and Steve are shown here on the first day of school this fall with their daughters.

Joan and Steve made a pledge in the beginning of The Campaign for Unquowa because they understand the importance of building early momentum. They recognize that the sooner we reach our goal, the sooner we will be able to tackle the campus projects and see the benefits of a stronger endowment.

Joan’s leadership goes beyond this generous gift - as Chair of The Campaign for Unquowa and Secretary of our Board of Governors, Joan is a passionate volunteer for Unquowa and we are so very grateful.

From all the children and families at Unquowa, thank you!

We are so grateful to Unquowa alumnae Betty Eaton Shaw ‘30, and Jean Carpenter Winton ‘34, for showing their support of The Campaign for Unquowa by personally reaching out to their former classmates from the twenties and thirties.

Betty and Jean have both stayed in close contact with Unquowa and, in recent years, with Sharon Lauer. They have joined us for many Founders’ Day and Commencement celebrations and their steady loyalty to the school is extraordinary.  Therefore, it is no surprise that they are eager to help the school by spreading  their excitement about The Campaign for Unquowa among their former classmates!

Betty and Jean are true stewards of The Unquowa School motto Cura Futuri Nobis - The Future Is In Our Care. We are so grateful for their help as we work together to strengthen the school for generations to come through The Campaign for Unquowa. Taken on a visit to the school this week, this photo shows Jean on the left and Betty on the right with Campaign Chair, Joan Panagos and Head of School, Sharon Lauer.