HEADSUP CARNIVAL is OCTOBER 6TH! Click here to LEARN MORE and to VOLUNTEER
We are thrilled to announce teacher mini-grants and green grants are back. The application window is now closed. Please check back in Fall for open applications. See below for a list of the 2021-22 mini-grant recipients.
HeadsUp will award mini-grants of up to $500 to support school enrichment in the arts, technology, health and literacy.
HeadsUp will award green grants of up to $1000 to support earth-friendly projects and supplies that help SRCS schools consume fewer resources, produce less pollution and waste, and teach ecological responsibility.
Click the appropriate link below to learn how to apply.
Mini-Grant Application • Green Grant Application
Proposals will be accepted from teachers, principals, consultants and program coordinators at all San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) K-12.
Additionally, students may also apply for green grants.
Grant submissions will be evaluated by a panel of HeadsUp board members.
Submit your proposal no later than November 1, 2021 to HeadsUp via email to minigrant@headsupsr.org. Grants will be awarded by November 15th.
Click below for 2018-19 application instructions!
Mini Grants | Green Grants
We Rocked!
More than 3,000 kids, from all eight elementary schools in San Rafael, ran in this year’s HeadsUp Rockin’Run, April 15–26, 2019. By working hard and collecting pledges, our kids raised $70,000 for elementary school music programs which will help pay for music instruction, materials, and instruments. Our new Scholastic Challenge online donation system allowed kids to set up personal fundraising pages for the first time. The new system more than doubled our online donations!
Many thanks to the Rockin’Run school site leaders, to the principals, staff, and teachers and to the hundreds of parents who came to watch, cheer, and mark laps on our run days.
Congratulations to our biggest fundraisers:
Grand Prize winner: Charlie Pledger of Coleman, who will have a special night at a Pacifics game with friends and family.
First prize winners at each school:
Bahia Vista — Matias Conrado
Coleman — Charlie Pledger
Glenwood — Kamelia Tokolahi
Laurel Dell — Angelin Rodas
San Pedro — Nicole Annabelly Gonzalez Lemus
Short — Riley Bulfer
Sun Valley — Katie Forst
Venetia Valley — Cindy Mazariegos
Summerfest September 2016
Another success!
Hundreds of volunteers, SRCS staff, HeadsUp business partners and families throughout San Rafael came together to support our schools and revel in the music performed by our students (and few a parents and teachers too). It was a beautiful reflection of our community, a whole lot of fun, and a valuable fundraiser that brought in over $80,000!
Thanks to all participants, a special shout out to the many teens from our high schools who made the day possible, and profound gratitude to our event chairs, Tanya Burdick and Leslie Piper.
HeadsUp CARNIVAL — October 7, 2017
We're back to school, apples are ripening, and it's time again for the HeadsUp Carnival! We'll have all the usual attractions: live music performed by our students (and few a parents and teachers too), carnival games, BBQ, papusas, jumpies, the cake walk, and much, much more, all on the beautiful San Rafael High School campus.
This fun, festive, community event raises a large portion of the HeadsUp budget and It takes hundreds of volunteers to make it happen. Please lend a hand and help us spread the word!
We Rocked! We Ran!
Supported by hundreds of volunteers, tallying, cheering, and donating for laps, our elementary students ran their hearts out last spring to raise over $70,000 to support music this year! Special thanks to all who participated, with an extra special shout out to our ever-ready event chairs, Amy Jonak and Laurie Petersen!
Thousands of attendees, hundreds of volunteers, mountains of food, dozens of activities, and so many wonderful student performances made Carnival a great day for our community! And with gross receipts of well over $85,000, its impact on our future ability to provide programs and support is truly meaningful! Particular shoutouts go to the many teens from Madrone, San Rafael and Terra Linda who gave their time so that younger kids and their families could enjoy the day. As always, we thank our many sponsors, including the in-kind donors below, and acknowledge the efforts of district staff that helped us pull this off.
Raffle Winners
$1,000: Blanca (last name not given), sold by Noe Rivera/Davidson
$500: Omar Agular, sold by Andra Rodriguez/Bahia Vista
$250: Jimmy Reyes, sold by Marvin Rodas/San Pedro
Raffle Top Sellers
Our school top sellers this year will all receive $25 cash and a
Ukulele, compliments of Banana’s at Large and Magic Flute!
Lidia Gomez (Bahia Vista)
Mirko Lavrisha (Davidson)
Madelyn Christensen (Coleman)
Keirah Star Haines(Glenwood)
Mike Aguilar (Laurel Dell)
Edison Vail (San Pedro)
Kai Dhavisith (Short)
Lucie Theobald (Sun Valley)
Diana Gonzalez (Venetia Valley)
Districtwide Top Seller: Madelyn Christensen (Coleman) will receive $50 in cash and a ukulele!
BIG SHOUT OUT to the San Pedro Dolphins for having the
highest raffle ticket sales (over $6,000 ) and the top
participation percentage in the district (over 30%).
San Pedro Elementary will receive $600!
Save the Date! HeadsUp CARNIVAL October 6, 2018
In-Kind Donors:
Bananas At Large
The Magic Flute
Peter Levi Plumbing
Sprouts Farmers Market
Three Twins Ice Cream
We Rocked!
Together this Spring, elementary school students at all eight schools in San Rafael ran through rain or shine to raise money for our schools’ music programs. Our caps go off to all the 3,700 students who ran and brought in pledge money to help pay for music instruction, materials, and instruments at all our schools. More than $67,000 was raised during Rockin’ Run!
Special congratulations to our Grand Prize Winner, Dylan Hynes of Venetia Valley, who will have a special night at a Pacifics game with friends and family. And congratulations to our other first prize winners at each school:
Bahia Vista … Lucy Noble
Coleman … Cameron Moayedi
Glenwood … Tyler Hineline
Laurel Dell … Angelin Rodas
San Pedro … Nicole Annabelly Gonzalez Lemus
Short … Enzo Medina Capanema
Sun Valley … Kacy Walker & Mac Walker
Many thanks to the Rockin’Run school site leaders, to the principals, staff and teachers and to the hundreds of parents who came to watch, cheer, and mark laps on our run days.
HeadsUp mini-grants support innovative site-based enrichment programs K–12 that affect significant numbers of students and build confidence, competence, and creativity.
We're currently accepting applications for 2019–2020.
Click the appropriate link below to learn how to apply.
Submit your proposal no later than Friday, November 1, 2019
to HeadsUp via email to minigrant@headsupsr.org.
Grants will be awarded by November 15th.
Mini-Grant Application • Green Grant Application
Middle School Enrichment:
As the district continues discussions on how to add a second elective at the middle schools, HeadsUp has committed to funding enrichment programs outside of normal school hours at Davidson and Venetia Valley for the 2017–18 academic year. Staff will offer a variety of programs for students modeled on the successful after-school jazz band we’ve funded at DMS for several years, including classes in art, technology, music and movement.
ROCKIN'RUN
LAPATHON
From the ABOUT page
Your contribution will help provide for:
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1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Music Programs and Materials
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After-School Enrichment Programs at the Middle Schools, including DMS Jazz Band and Maker Club
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Middle School Transition and Restorative Justice Programs
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College Counseling Consultants at the High Schools
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High School Transition Programs
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High School Student-Athlete Safety Programs
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Teacher Mini-Grants
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Consistent Achiever Luncheon
Green Grants
Announcing Virtual Enrichment at All Elementary Sites
This year our San Rafael families—like families all over the world—have started school with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Remote learning and family safety concerns loom over what is usually a very exciting time. But the great challenges facing our schools have also given rise to some new opportunities. HeadsUp is happy to announce a new, expanded arts-and-wellness enrichment program that will be incorporated into each child’s virtual school day.
Since 1989, HeadsUp has provided music instruction at every San Rafael elementary school. But this year, with generous support from Sun Valley, Coleman, and Glenwood parent groups, we are able to bring high-quality, grade-appropriate, daily enrichment to every child at every school. We've engaged experts in Art and Dance (Youth in Arts), Yoga (Bambini Yoga), P.E. (National Academy of Athletics) and Music (HeadsUp teachers Cathy Lenz and Amanda Hahn) to develop our engaging, activity-based curriculum.
These arts and activity sessions fit into the Enrichment block scheduled at the end of every school day. But they are asynchronous (pre-recorded), so they can fit into whatever time works best for your child and your family. (Music with breakfast? Yoga before bed?) Students will have opportunities to share their projects with classmates and teachers in the live classroom portion of their day. And HeadsUp will be creating hashtags on our social media where parents can choose to post kids’ work for an even larger audience.
As our entire community works together to weather the changes required by this pandemic, HeadsUp is happy to continue, and even expand, its equitable and enriched programming—truly elevating education for every child.
Learn more by visiting our elementary enrichment website here!
College Counseling Consultants Continue Great Work
College counseling consultants Kelly Leary at San Rafael High School and Brad Ward at Terra Linda High School continue to help our high school students with the college search and application process. Working in partnership with the district’s college and career advisor, this includes 1-on-1 meetings with students and parents (currently virtual), helping students build college lists, providing support on college essays and financial aid and scholarship applications, and advising on volunteering, internships and summer study. Kelly and Brad also organize visits from college admissions officers throughout the year and put on the Career Tech Fair each spring.
Difficult Budget Cuts Alter Programming, but Support Continues
Our FY21 funding has been highly impacted by the pandemic. Many of the events we rely on for fundraising, including the SchoolsRule gala, have been canceled, and business donations are down as well. After several years at nearly $500K, we had to build a budget at $225K. Cuts were spread equally across the divisions (elementary, middle, high all reduced by 48%). We are thankful that our funding can still have an impact for students in the areas of enrichment, wellness and college counseling but we need your support to carry this on throughout the academic year.