June 4, 2014
On a pleasant evening in May, twenty-five TFS Mississauga families listened attentively as TFS leadership and Soaring Beyond Campaign Cabinet members spoke passionately about the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of TFS. They had gathered at the home of Emylia and David Marshall, TFS parents at the Mississauga campus and enthusiastic supporters of the school since 2010. Emylia is a Mississauga Branch representative for the TFS Parents’ Association and one of three Mississauga parent leaders on the Campaign Cabinet, together with Karen Brock and Juliana Sprott. The Marshalls have also made a special leadership gift to support Soaring Beyond: The Campaign for TFS, in addition to their ongoing support of the school’s Annual Fund program.
This evening, David and Emylia were gracious hosts to fellow TFS parents. It was hoped that the information event would inspire support for the campaign’s three forward-thinking initiatives, which will benefit every student at TFS from PK to LV. These three “pillars” are the Entrance Scholarships program, Program Enrichment and the Learning Forum @ TFS.
Speakers for the evening included Sherry Evershed, member of the Board of Directors and Chair ofSoaring Beyond,who was pleased to report that $6 million of the campaign goal of $9 million had been reached as of March 31, 2014. This achievement has been possible thanks in no small measure to the generous support from members of the Mississauga and Toronto parent communities, from the Parents’ Association and through annual and leadership giving.
Susan Markle, Executive Director of Admissions, spoke about the Entrance Scholarships program, which will provide a life-changing opportunity to talented, high-achieving students who would not otherwise be able to benefit from the exceptional education offered at TFS. The campaign goal for this program is $1 million. It is to be launched once the school reaches $500,000 in cash and pledges.
While the Learning Forum @ TFS is in its second year, creating a permanent home for the program in each branch is the next crucial step, explained Dr. Susan Elliot, Executive Director of the Learning Forum @ TFS. This initiative will bring library resources, digital resources and student support services together in a dedicated space, addressing each student’s individualized learning needs even as it provides support for teachers. The campaign goal for this strategic priority is set at $4 million.
For the Mississauga campus, as Headmaster John Godfrey pointed out, successful fundraising promises to bring special developments. “We have been very fortunate,” he said, “to receive very generous support from our community for both the Learning Forum and Program Enrichment. Headmaster Godfrey explained how the complete upgrade of the Science Lab at the Mississauga campus is a great example of the third pillar at work, Program Enrichment, which integrates the Annual Giving program.
“Annual giving support for Program Enrichment helps make the difference between a great experience and an extraordinary one for our students.” The Lab, he said, will be completed over the summer and ready for September. He noted that the school is also moving forward with a plan to identify the next projects for fundraising at Mississauga under the Program Enrichment pillar. Clearly, there are many exciting developments in store for TFS’ Mississauga campus.
Although participants were presented with a campaign information package to take home, David Marshall had some inspiring parting words to share: “Education at TFS is of a very high standard indeed, and we as parents today are benefitting from all the investments that have been made by parents before us. The success of the school depends on our support. It doesn’t happen by itself.”
Both David and Emylia hoped that the reception would bring Mississauga TFS families together for a common purpose. “Even if we reached only a few families, we thought an event like this would be well worth it,” said Emylia. Judging from the convivial exchange over refreshments, the evening was a resounding success. “It was wonderful,” Emylia enthused. “You know, it is immensely rewarding to be involved as a volunteer — not just through the satisfaction of seeing progress toward the goal — but through the community spirit and friendships developed along the way. Tonight was no exception.”