Cortez Elementary School Adopted Through Partnership With Windsong Trust

May 12, 2011 - Spread the Word Nevada adopted Cortez Elementary School on May 12, 2011. The school was the 24th to be adopted since the organization began in 2001.

During the adoption ceremony, Hard Rock Cafe volunteers joined Principal Ariel Villalobos and teachers in a skit to educate students on the importance of working together as a community to make reading and education a priority.

The adoption was made possible by funding from Windsong Trust, a charitable trust based in Los Angeles. Cortez is one of three schools scheduled to be sponsored through a $100,000 grant.

After the assembly, more than 800 Cortez students received a book bag and five books to start building home libraries. Spread the Word Nevada will continue monthly book distributions and literacy services at the school made up predominently of at-risk students.

Superintendant of Clark County School District, Dwight Jones, commented on the impact Windsong Trust's partnership with Spread the Word Nevada will have in providing additional literacy support to students at Cortez.

Spread the Word Nevada representatives presented Vadim Fridman and Gigi Osco-Bingemann, Co-Trustees of Windsong Trust (pictured below), a framed work of art created by a student to celebrate the much-needed partnership.

Among the guests at the event were Gian Brosco, President of Nevada Community Foundation; Carolyn Edwards, School Board President of Clark County School District; Teri Janison, Director of Community Relations for the Office of the Governor; Terry Jicinsky, Senior Vice President of Operations of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; and Dwight Jones, Superintendant of Clark County School District.

Below, adoption sponsors Vadim Fridman and Gigi Osco-Bingemann, Co-Trustees of Windsong Trust, assist with distributing books to the excited students of Cortez Elementary.

We look forward to seeing you at our next school adoption!

Photos by Scott Roeben.