2023-24 Boosters Wrap-up from Outgoing President Diane Morrison

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Hello Incline Boosters!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Summer! Whether you’re enjoying record breaking temperatures here at home or traveling the world, I hope this finds you safe, happy and recharging after and exciting and successful 2023/24 year at Incline High School. 

Boosters started the Fall 2023 strong continuing with the prior years implementation of individual Grade Parents.  This initiative allows each grade to receive year specific information in a timely manner while also giving grade parents a unique liaison both to the School and Boosters where they can ask questions and get the information they need.  Thank you to last year’s liaisons:  Emmanuelle Macdonald, Tara Cannon, Annie Graffam, and Patrick Thompson.  You did an amazing job!

Thank you also to the grade parents who have volunteered for the 2024/25 school year! Please make these sure these individuals have your personal email.  Without your direct authorization, they are unable to include you in their weekly mailings:

Another Boosters area which gained momentum this year is our Hispanic Outreach Program thanks to our Hispanic Liaison, Lourdes Avenier. This year Lourdes implemented new programs, including Hispanic Parent Nights, starting new traditions and continuing to bridge the gap.  Throughout the year Lourdes worked with IHS staff, the community and students to keep everyone engaged. Dia de Los Muertos &  Feria de la Comunidad were huge successes and we look forward to these events growing each year.

Love IHS Facebook and Instagram? Thank Sara Hillman! Sara is our Communications guru getting information out to all, almost as it happens, keeping everyone informed via newsletters, social media and keeping billboards around town up to date!

Heather Shook, Secretary extraordinaire! Heather deserves huge kudos for keeping the entire Board on task and up to date with minutes, agendas and was the first to lend a helping hand when one was needed.  Boosters and IHS thanks you Heather (and Chuck! Who always helped even when he didn’t want to volunteer!)

Michael Aberle is new to Incline Village, IHS and the Booster board but that didn’t slow him down.  Michael hit the town, and the ground running as Boosters Second VP, Michael took on one of the projects near and dear to his heart and did so with his own donated equipment, time and dollars.  Michael helped fix the Duffield Theater’s state of the art Sound and Lighting system and trained students to become Tech professionals.  Thank you Michael for the countless hours you spent with the Theater and Arts departments as well as all the work with Boosters! 

Boosters continued our collaborative partnership with Incline Education Fund. We are so appreciative of the tireless and impassioned work of Sharon Schrage and Mary Danahey of IEF who are so close to being able to announce Incline’s IES, IMS and IHS; Nevada’s only K-12 designated STEM school system.  Together we hosted the Governor’s office and other STEM focused nights, Co-Sponsored FREE College Counseling to all IHS Seniors, Juniors and as available, Sophomores and Freshman. We hope to continue this impactful benefit for all IHS students next year.  

STEM was a continued focus for Boosters as we were able to finally complete our Crab Feed 2023 Engineering Fund-A-Need Expenditures.  Engineering received:

  • a Waser Waterjet
  • a Mat Cuter
  • Steel Workbench Tool Boxes and Cabinets
  • Laser Lenses
  • Heavy Duty Caster Sets

If you haven’t had the opportunity to take a peek into the Engineering department, make a point to stop in and check out the expanded lab and watched these impassioned students at work!

Boosters also purchased 10 Smartboards/Activpanels this year. This acquisition helped round our 22/23/24 Smartboard purchase to a total of 28. The Boosters goal of offering a Smartboard in every classroom for every teacher who wants one, has is met!

Did you know?

Every year, each department at IHS is granted an annual budget from the Boosters to help teachers with items which WCSD might not cover but help with getting their job done!

We want to ensure each teacher has the tools they need so each class runs seamlessly.  This is just a sample of what Boosters provided this year:

  • 40 Rechargeable Graphing Calculators for the Math Department, making sure no student is without. 
  • Stand Up Desks for the English Department for those students who might have trouble staying focused when sitting too long.   
  • All new textbooks as well as digital Books and Podcast memberships for the Spanish Department, ensuring they have the most up to date learning techniques
  • Rosetta Stone subscriptions for our ELA department
  • 2 Photoshop Licenses for the Art Department as well as over $1,400 worth of Art Supplies
  • Lights and Speakers for Leadership to enhance the any Leadership sponsored events including school dances and assemblies
  • No Red Ink –platform for the English department
  •  A new Student copier in the Library
  • Heavy duty Hangrail and Dog Tags for JROTC
  • Musical Instruments: Marching Tom, Bass Drum and Snare Drum Stands for Band

And the list goes on and on…

This is just a snapshot of how Boosters supports every aspect of IHS.  How do we do it? Primarily our budget is replenished year after year with the amazing CRAB FEED fundraiser. We can’t even mention the Crab Feed without highlighting Boosters Vice President, Tara Cannon.  Tara single-handedly planned the Crab Feed for the second year in a row, exceeding our anticipated budget goal both years!   Tara faced two years of cancelled crabbing seasons making a “crab feed” difficult but pivoting has become her new dance move – which she effortlessly mastered and designed two unique and creative events for IHS which were both engaging but more importantly raised considerable funds which allowed us to do everything we do! Thank you Tara for your exceptional work all year long, as Boosters VP, with Crab Feed and the countless other areas where you stepped up and helped out!    

As always, Boosters continued with our dedication to supporting IHS Sports Teams.  For those who aren’t aware, Incline Boosters supplements EACH of IHS teams with new uniforms on a 5 year rolling budget.  This year, Boosters purchased

  • New Volleyball Jerseys
  • Away Football Jerseys as well as missing jerseys numbers for Varsity and JV, Football pants
  • Track and Cross Country Singlets and Warm Ups
  • Wrestling Singlets
  • Boys Golf Shirts
  • Logo’ed IHS Swim caps
  • New Cheer Uniforms

Boosters also purchased the Senior Banners for all Fall Sports!

Boosters enhanced the sports programs with some much needed hard goods where Washoe County falls short.  Because of our successful fundraising efforts, we were able to purchase game balls for the Fall 2024 Girls and boys Soccer & Basketball teams, Volleyball & Football teams. Boys and Girls Golf each received sleeves of balls for their players for tournament play.   Track was able to order much needed updated equipment; starting blocks, shot put and discuses.  The Ski Team received some new waxing equipment.   

Dustin Evans, Boosters Treasurer, had the incredibly taxing job of ensuring Boosters paid for all of their expenditures, tax free, that our checkbooks balanced and our debits never exceeded our credits! Dustin meticulously worked with every Department Head, Teacher, Coach, Vendor and everyone in between to ensure we got the best price and everyone was happy.  Thank you Dustin!

Thank you to ALL of our Booster Team Members who volunteered countless hours, ensuring Boosters success.  Our Membership Chair, Inga Starrett-Briggs, along with Beatriz Tarazona, helped streamline our membership process ensuring our database is up to date and made  becoming a member easier than ever!  Love our new Merchandise?  Thank Susie Hansen!  Susie jumped in and found fun and creative swag, pleasing parents and students alike!  Alexis Hummer got us organized and started the year off as our Concession Chair.  Love seeing your name in our Big Gym? Dana Greer had the most successful Family and Corporate Banner campaign in Booster history but also was able to source a vendor who over the last two years would remake each of our banners in the gym, streamlining our colors and refining the look.  Dana also spearheaded Staff Appreciation Week, gathering enough community and business donations so every teacher and staff member received a customized gift, gift cards and were fed for a full week.  Kristen O’Donnell was our Hospitality Chair, helping host our countless Booster events throughout the year.

Boosters loves IHS and is there for it all!  If there is an event at the school, you can make a bet, Boosters has a hand in ensuring its success, either with refreshments, manpower or sometimes just much needed dollars. Our efforts begin before school even starts, supporting students while picking up their schedules, to entertaining rising freshmen, Scholarship Nights and continue through Graduation.  If you see something special, it’s a good bet Boosters had something to do with it.  So, please thank your Boosters Board members, team leaders and do your part to lend a hand!  Join Boosters, volunteer and help continue making IHS great!

It’s been a pleasure serving as your Boosters President and Vice President these last two years. 

With Gratitude,

Diane Morrison

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