Category: annual gala

It’s Mission Completed For SchoolPower’s Dinner Dance

SchoolPower held its 32nd Annual Dinner Dance Mission: NOT Impossible on February 11 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The black, white and red-themed event grossed approximately $300,000 for Laguna Beach schools. After running into the room and rolling onto the stage like a top secret agent, SchoolPower President Taylor Pillsbury welcomed guests with a Nelson Mandela quote: “It always seems impossible, until it’s done.” He also thanked Dinner Dance Chairs Amy Kramer, Gorjana Reidel and Carol Moss for all their work to create an incredible evening of dining, dancing, and bidding on some amazing silent and live auction items. [...]

Mission Completed for SchoolPower’s Dinner Dance 2017

SchoolPower held its 32nd Annual Dinner Dance Mission: NOT Impossible on February 11 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The black, white and red-themed event grossed just under $300,000 for Laguna Beach schools. After running into the room and rolling onto the stage like a top secret agent, SchoolPower President Taylor Pillsbury welcomed guests with a Nelson Mandela quote: "It always seems impossible, until it’s done." He also thanked Dinner Dance Chairs Amy Kramer, Gorjana Reidel and Carol Moss for all their work to create an incredible evening of dining, dancing, and bidding on some amazing silent and live auction [...]

Super Success of Dinner Dance 2016

It was a heroic evening at Montage Laguna Beach on March 19th as SchoolPower's 31st annual Dinner Dance "Calling All Superheroes" shattered records by netting over $350,000 for Laguna Beach schools. Superman and Wonder Woman impersonators greeted 325 guests on the Montage lawn at sunset. When "kryptonite" appeared, the superheroes saved the day by guiding guests into the ballroom for dinner, where they were welcomed by SchoolPower Executive Director Robin Rounaghi and President Amy Kramer. The highlight of the evening was the video for this year's Fund-a-Need, "The Reimagined Classroom (and Library!)", to support the district initiative of transforming [...]

The Reimagined Classroom Fund-a-Need

The highlight of the evening was the video for this year's Fund-a-Need, "The Reimagined Classroom (and Library!)", to support the district initiative of transforming 11 classrooms at the high school and middle school, as well as the Thurston library. Created by teachers Andy Crisp and Jun Chen and introduced by LBUSD's Chief Technology Officer Mike Morrison, the fast-paced video had the crowd laughing out loud as they followed a twisting and far-fetched journey that ultimately led to the practical conclusion of investing in our schools' future. Completely energized by the video, the crowd gave a standing ovation to its creators [...]

SchoolPower Treats Supporters to an Ocean View

The Pacific Ocean provided the backdrop for SchoolPower’s recent annual business appreciation party, hosted by The Deck and Pacific Edge Hotel. Supporters of SchoolPower, Laguna Beach’s non-profit education foundation, dined on food prepared by Chef Rainer Schwarz and received President Tom Motherway’s appreciation. “Your generosity and support not only means excellent schools for Laguna Beach kids, but makes our town the wonderful community that it is,” Motherway said. Read More

4Cs Learning Environment Fund-a-Need

Innovative classrooms were the focus of SchoolPower’s Fund-a-Need program, giving a kick-start to a recent Laguna Beach district initiative to modernize schools. In Carrie Denton’s environmental sciences lab, which serves as Laguna Beach High School’s first test site, there is no front of the classroom. Denton’s lessons are fluid, creative and lively as two 80-inch monitors on opposite walls and wheeled desks allow students’ attention, bodies, study groups and class discussions to shift. “Collaboration of students is very easy,” Denton says. “I can move students if I need to during a lesson. This environment allows the students to be [...]

“Stroke of Genius” Breaks Records

Saturday, March 14, 2015 – Montage Laguna Beach Local education foundation SchoolPower, which broke records this year with its community campaign, continued its winning streak at Montage Laguna Beach at its 30th annual gala “Stroke of Genius.” The featured Fund-a-Need, which will advance a district initiative to transform classrooms, raised the most money in the history of SchoolPower’s Fund-a-Need campaigns. SchoolPower president Tom Motherway and LBUSD chief technology officer Mike Morrison introduced the Fund-a-Need video, a parody of “The Office,” from the innovative mobile desks requested by the district. In order to outfit 12 classrooms with large monitors, audio [...]

SchoolPower’s “Stroke of Genius” Breaks Records

Local education foundation SchoolPower, which broke records this year with its community campaign, continued its winning streak at Montage Laguna Beach at its 30th annual gala “Stroke of Genius.” The featured Fund-a-Need which will advance a district initiative to transform classrooms raised the most money in the history of SchoolPower’s Fund-a-Need campaigns. SchoolPower president Tom Motherway and LBUSD chief technology officer Mike Morrison introduced the Fund-a-Need video, a parody of “The Office,” from the innovative mobile desks requested by the district. In order to outfit 12 classrooms with large monitors, audio systems and innovative furniture that allow fluid configurations [...]

SchoolPower’s Dinner Dance “Sowing the Seeds”

SchoolPower’s 29th Annual Dinner Dance, held March 1st, 2014, netted over $225,000 for Laguna Beach schools. The event, which drew over 300 guests to Montage Laguna Beach, dedicated a portion of the evening to raising money for an initiative selected at the recommendation of district leaders. This year’s Fund-a-Need, “Xtremely iNteractive,” requested Apple iPads, Apple TVs and Google Chromebooks and advances a long-term goal to create high-tech, interactive classrooms. “Last year’s Fund-a-Need upgraded the district’s wireless network and allowed the increased use of classroom technology at all four schools,” said SchoolPower President Lynn Gregory. “We now have the infrastructure [...]