We Believe in Dawson

Dear Dawson Community, 

“Dawson is life.”
 - Roxanne Stansbury, with inspiration from Ted Lasso 
 

The Alexander Dawson School is a dynamic and energizing place, and gifts given to our Annual Fund help us offer an innovative educational program that engages and empowers our students and faculty. You allow us to provide high-quality teaching and student support services that ensure excellence in academics and athletics, and a beautiful, secure campus that supports Dawson’s modern learning landscape. 
 
We made some incredible progress in support of the School when we asked you to show how much you Believe in Dawson, and we invite you to watch a special gratitude video featuring our amazing students.

Please watch our gratitude video here.
 

We are also proud to share the following donor accomplishments over the past five weeks: 

Board of Trustees: 100 percent giving
Faculty & Staff: 100 percent giving
Parents: 59 percent giving 
Grandparents: 31 gifts
Alumni & Alumni Parents: 35 gifts
375-Person Donor Goal: 473 donors 

Congratulations to Lauren & Christopher Fierst, who won a reserved parking spot in the Middle School lot for the entire 2023-2024 school year, as well as to our other participation contest winners! 

• 70 percent participation by grade: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, AND 5th grades will celebrate with a special pizza party from Sage Dining on Friday, April 14!

• 100 percent participation by grade: All kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd-grade students get a FREE ticket plus any additional tickets for just $10.00 to the Las Vegas Lights FC soccer game at Cashman Field on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m.! Thank you to the Las Vegas Lights FC for supporting the Dawson community with this generous donation. More details to follow! 

• All Annual Fund Donors: Every gift over the course of our Annual Fund campaign will get you a box of biscuits sent home with your youngest student on Friday, April 14! 

As we look ahead with hope and ambition at the future we are already creating for our students, our goal of deepening Dawson’s culture of philanthropy means we have many exciting possibilities in front of us. We are grateful to every community member who gave a gift this year; supporting our Annual Fund is a choice, not an expectation, and we are deeply appreciative that you Believe in Dawson.

Best wishes for an incredible rest of the school year! 
 
Roxanne Stansbury, Head of School
In Collaboration with Dawson’s Advancement Team
The Alexander Dawson School
 

 

“Do you Believe in miracles?”
 - Ted Lasso 

During week 5, Watch this video and show you Believe in Dawson and give a gift that supports any area of greatest need at our school. This shows you Believe in Everything!

Dawson is truly miraculous. And when our entire community Believes in everything, how can we choose one single thing to highlight? Whether it’s cherished friendships and lasting memories, our students’ strong sense of self and school identity, or the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our spectacular teachers, it’s nearly impossible! 

Importantly, when you give a gift to show you Believe in Dawson, you are also helping to close the gap in tuition. As an independent, not-for-profit school, Dawson does not receive state or federal funding. The cost of an education for every single Dawson student is therefore subsidized, and many families paying the full tuition price are still paying less than the School is spending to educate your child. This leaves Dawson needing to rely on alternative sources of funding – including and especially our Annual Fund.

 
This week only, for a minimum donation of $500.00, your name will be entered into a drawing to win one incentive of your choice from the list below: 

• Reserved parking spot in the EC parking lot for the entire 2023-2024 school year
• First-in-line Lower School carpool spot for the entire 2023-2024 school year  
• Reserved parking spot in the Middle School lot adjacent to the Gym for the entire 2023-2024 school year 
• Two free tickets to Dawson’s 2023-2024 Food & Wine Festival
• Your choice of an incentive from any of the previous four Annual Fund campaign weeks

(*Please note: A donation must be made the same week this specific incentive is offered to have a chance to win; therefore, multiple donations over the course of our We Believe in Dawson campaign are accepted.) 

Congratulations to our 10 winners of the 26-ounce “We Believe” Yeti Rambler: grandparent Andrea Cioe, alumni grandparent Gail O'Connell, Nahuel Borria, Nicole Breen, Jihee Anh, Jil Phinicharomna Lee, Lavin family, Meg Nelson, Ariana Mora, and Tricia Sellers. 

And there is just ONE WEEK LEFT before our grade-level participation winners are announced on Tuesday, April 11!

• Any grade from EC-8 that achieves at least 70 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will win a pizza party on Friday, April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Plus, from sports teams to favorite activities to people who inspire, if we achieve at least 85 percent participation as a whole school, each community member can wear a shirt in support of what they Believe in the most on Friday, April 14. Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward the School's overall participation total.
• We have a super exciting incentive from the Las Vegas Lights FC, our local premier American professional soccer team! Any grade from EC-8 that achieves 100 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will receive one FREE ticket for each student in that grade and any additional tickets for just $10.00 to a Lights FC home game at Cashman Field on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m.! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Want to join Coach J in eating some cookies? For your donation of ANY amount since the beginning of our We Believe campaign through Tuesday, April 11, your family will get your own box of biscuits on Friday, April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.

As we begin the fifth and final week of our We Believe in Dawson Annual Fund campaign, thank you for your ongoing support, trust, and confidence in our amazing school. We are excited about our achievements already accomplished and can't wait to see what we do during the last week of this outstanding community journey! 
 
Andrew Bishop, Assistant Head of School
In Collaboration with Dawson’s Advancement Team
The Alexander Dawson School 
 

“Teachers are like great albums. Everyone can think of at least one that changed their life.” 

• Ted Lasso

During week 4, watch this video and show you Believe in Faculty Professional Development and give a gift that supports the professional development needs of the talented faculty who encourage and inspire the academic achievements of our amazing students. 

You can give a gift in honor of your child’s favorite Dawson teacher. Show you Believe in Dawson’s need for a true learning community that invests in educational best practices, advances in technology, and real-world development. 

In appreciation of everyone who donates a minimum of $25 to the Annual Fund this week, we are giving away a 26-ounce “We Believe” Yeti Rambler with a straw to 10 Dawson families! 

Congratulations to our Week 3 winners of a personalized custom journal made by the Tech for Good students: Meg Nelson, Peter Benitez, Matthew Raddue, Ben & Katie Smith, and the Wyman Family!

And don’t forget that our grade-level participation competition is heating up! Look for that update later this week.

• Any grade from EC-8 that achieves at least 70 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will win a pizza party on April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Plus, from sports teams to favorite activities to people who inspire, if we achieve at least 85 percent participation as a whole school, each community member can wear a shirt in support of what they Believe in the most on Friday, April 14. Gifts of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward the School's overall participation total.
• And we are excited to announce a new incentive from Las Vegas Lights FC, our local premier American professional soccer team! Any grade from EC-8 that achieves 100 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will receive one FREE ticket for each student in that grade and any additional tickets for just $10.00 to a Lights FC home game at Cashman Field on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m.! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Tired of watching Coach J eat all the cookies? For your donation of ANY amount since the beginning of our We Believe campaign through Tuesday, April 11, your family will get your own box of biscuits on Friday, April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.

We are making spectacular progress on our Annual Fund participation goal, and it’s all due to the extraordinary community spirit we share and love. Thank you for what has already been an incredible giving campaign. 

Dr. Brandon L. Wiley, Chief Academic Officer

In collaboration with Dawson’s Advancement Team

The Alexander Dawson School 

A big thanks to all of our donors since the morning of March 23rd!

During week 3, watch this video and show you Believe in Innovative and Creative Campus Spaces and give a gift toward the expansion of the areas where our amazing students collaborate to learn, design, play, and innovate every day. 

This week only, for a minimum donation of $25.00, we will draw five names to win a custom, photo-engraved journal designed and fabricated by our seventh and eighth-grade Tech for Good students! (*Please note: A donation must be made the same week this specific incentive is offered to have a chance to win; therefore, multiple donations over the course of the We Believe campaign are accepted.)

Congratulations and thank you to our Week 2 winner a free after-school BASE Enrichment class during quarter four: the Gaughan family!  –

And let’s not forget about our exciting grade-level participation competitions! At the end of our Annual Fund campaign:

• Any grade from EC-8 that achieves at least 70 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will win a pizza party on Friday, April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Plus, from sports teams to favorite activities to people who inspire, if we achieve at least 85 percent participation as a whole school, each community member can wear a shirt in support of what they Believe in the most on Friday, April 14. Gifts of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward the School's overall participation total.
• Don't forget about our new incentive from Las Vegas Lights FC, our local premier American professional soccer team! Any grade from EC-8 that achieves 100 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will receive one FREE ticket for each student in that grade and any additional tickets for just $10.00 to a Lights FC home game at Cashman Field on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m.! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• And are you tired of watching Coach J eat all the cookies? For your donation of ANY amount since the beginning of our We Believe campaign through Tuesday, April 11, your family will get your own box of biscuits on Friday, April 14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.

Thank you for your support of active learning spaces on campus that bolster Dawson’s commitment to innovation, engagement, and participation. 

Go Bears!

For Spring Break, watch this video and show you Believe in Dawson. Dawson Bears have been stirring up conversations about the annual fund and we finally figured out where all those cookies are coming from! As a special thank you, all Dawson families who donate during the #WeBelieveinDawson campaign will receive their own box of shortbread biscuits on Friday, April 14. Chef Susan got the recipe from the students, so you know they're going to be good. Give by April 11 to reserve your box!

Quick, Coach J is eating them all...

For Week 2, watch this video and show you believe in Access & Affordability. For a minimum donation of $25.00, your name will be entered into a drawing for one FREE after-school BASE Enrichment class during the fourth quarter, which begins Monday, March 20. (*Please note: A donation must be made the same week this specific incentive is offered to have a chance to win; therefore, multiple donations over the course of the We Believe campaign are accepted.)  

Congratulations and thank you to our Week 1 winners of a $100.00 gift card for Dawson Bear Wear – the Brodie,  Mainor,  and Jordan Families – and let’s not forget about our exciting grade-level participation competitions! At the end of our Annual Fund campaign: 

• Any grade from EC-8 that achieves at least 70 percent parent or grandparent participation will win a pizza party on April14! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe in Dawson campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Plus, from sports teams to favorite activities to people who inspire, if we achieve at least 85 percent participation as a whole school, each community member can wear a shirt in support of what they Believe in the most on Friday, April 14. Gifts of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward the School's overall participation total.
• And we are excited to announce a new incentive from Las Vegas Lights FC, our local premier American professional soccer team! Any grade from EC-8 that achieves 100 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will receive one FREE ticket for each student in that grade and any additional tickets for just $10.00 to a Lights FC home game at Cashman Field on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 p.m.! Your gift of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.

Thank you for supporting an equitable academic experience within our community. When the School is reflective of our global society, our students receive the transformative, real-world education they need and deserve.

Go Bears!

For week 1, watch this video and show you Believe in Dawson Athletics by helping our student-athletes find success in the classroom and the community. Our program encourages a flexible and healthy mindset toward competitive activities and helps kids develop important life skills. From equipment and uniforms to the coaches who serve as mentors, your gift toward Dawson Athletics helps us provide a program that is inclusive, dynamic, and beneficial to all of our students.
 
We are also excited to announce three amazing incentives when you give a gift! 

• For a minimum donation of $25.00 during week 1, we will draw three names for Dawson Bear Wear gift cards valued at $100.00 each! (*Please note: A donation must be made the same week this specific incentive is offered to have a chance to win; therefore, multiple donations over the course of the We Believe campaign are accepted.) 
• And let’s bring back our popular pizza contest! Any grade from EC-8 that achieves at least 70 percent parent/guardian or grandparent participation will win a pizza party from Sage Dining on Friday, April 14. Gifts of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward each grade’s overall participation total.
• Plus, from sports teams to favorite activities to people who inspire, if we achieve at least 85 percent participation as a whole school, each community member can wear a shirt in support of what they Believe in the most on Friday, April 14. Gifts of any amount from the very start of our We Believe campaign will count toward the School's overall participation total.  

Over the next five weeks, we hope to reinvigorate your belief in Dawson and the reasons you’ve chosen to be part of our incredible school. Thank you in advance for joining us on this exciting journey.

 
Go Bears!

To believe means having trust, faith, and confidence in something or someone. And today, we are thrilled to announce this year’s Annual Fund campaign, We Believe in Dawson.

Starting February 27, you’ll receive an email from us with a new video featuring our amazing students sharing the reasons why they Believe in Dawson. Our giving goal remains 100 percent community participation – from families, faculty and staff, grandparents, alumni, and friends – and during the weeks ahead, we will give insight into why the Annual Fund is an essential economic element of our School, how these funds are utilized, and how your advocacy through the power of participation matters.