Dear Coralwood Family,

​

We Shine Brighter Together!

The start of the new school year usually comes with a bustle of activity and a wide range of emotions. Whether you are a returning family or new to Coralwood school, you are all part of a welcoming family that shares your anticipations, hopes, and struggles.  After the last few years, many may feel a bit disconnected from this amazing community, which is why we start this year resolving that we shine brighter together!

​

Coralwood is a unique and wonderful place and that is due to many factors.  The inclusion model itself creates a diverse and varied community that values and promotes individuals and benefits from their contributions.  The dedicated staff and teachers are supported and encouraged to create the optimal environment for our children to learn and develop. And of course, there is the Coralwood community that you have now joined.  Coralwood has a history of being supported by the families that have come here.  Once you are part of the Coralwood family you tend to stay part of the Coralwood family.  Families stay involved after their children have graduated.  Alumni show up for homecoming annually! 

​

The Coralwood experience is often compared to that of a private school, which is exceptional for a public school. The Coralwood Foundation’s mission is to support that experience with the resources necessary to provide the quality of education our children require and deserve. This is only possible because of the generous community we have.

​

Because of the contributions of many, the Coralwood Foundation is able to supplement funding beyond what Dekalb county provides.  It is another reason that Coralwood is not just another school. As you can imagine, county budgets can be tricky to navigate and oftentimes leave school administrators faced with the seemingly impossible task of providing quality educational programming in a very constrained financial environment. What that means for Coralwood School is that the budget is based solely on the number of kindergarten students enrolled, does not take into account the preschool or pre- kindergarten, and for the 2022-2023 school year is set at less than $8,000.  

​

The Coralwood Foundation can help support the school you envision for your child and encourage educational excellence from within. Through your gifts, we fund Higher Opportunities for Teachers (HOT) educational programs for the staff to provide training programs to our teachers, such as the Handwriting Without Tears program and Orton-Gillingham training. The Foundation supports Homecoming, sponsors Alliance Theater performances for students, provides supplies for the STEM lab and classrooms, supports curriculum resources, provides funds for playground equipment, and is upgrading the Sensory Hallway and the Nature Trail! Also, our development director works with several grant organizations to help bring funds to support these important initiatives.

​

The Foundation was founded in May 2005 by parents, teachers, therapists, and school administrators with a vision to make Coralwood a school that could serve as a national model of excellence in inclusion education. At the center of our success is YOU! Whether you would like to volunteer, serve on the board, or donate we need your support.

​

Keep Shining,

Jerry Thomas and Kristina Cesa, Coralwood Foundation Co-Presidents