December 2025

It’s a joyous time for most. But for some families and students, it can be the most stressful. While we can’t alleviate all the anxiety, ASF is committed to funding joy throughout the school year, to exposing students to opportunities that make learning fun, and to offering learning outside of the classroom setting so that kids are inspired and can more easily retain their learning.

I recently bumped into a community member and AHS alum (class of ‘78) who told me that choir and drama classes were the only reason she got up and went to school. “The arts saved me,” she said. It’s not a stretch to say that metals and woodshop classes do the same thing for some students. Conducting experiments with digital microscopes, hiking through the Cascade foothills, visiting MoNA in LaConner or painting with watercolors can and do make a difference in our students’ learning. These are “joy” opportunities the district can no longer afford.

Celebrate the Season

On December 5, ASF hosted a holiday party that both humbled and inspired us. As the high school jazz choir sang to welcome our guests, we watched magic happen. Our community never ceases to amaze us with its generosity and heart for kids. That community involves local businesses who sponsored and donated, giving freely when asked. It involves individuals who donated items to be auctioned and who, after giving in many ways to many places throughout the year, dug deep and gave big.

In addition to a Raise the Paddle that included three $10,000 donations, our donors had fun raising their paddles to buy 84 backpacks for our Ready to Learn Fair. And guests dashed to the dessert table, raising a very sweet $11,000.

What happens next? ASF gets to work.

We will meet early next year to allocate the funds raised to our major programming: STEM, CTE, mental health, early learning, and the arts. Our board works hard to balance the priorities of the district with the passions of our donors, and we are committed to responsible stewardship.

We are grateful, hopeful and humbled. We wish the entire Anacortes community - donors, school staff, students and families, business and community organizations - a very Merry Christmas.

For more information, please contact Executive Director Treva King at execdirector@asfkids.org.