Friends of Newberry

Friends of Newberry Newberry is a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Newberry Math and Science Academy. It is the umbrella organization that encompasses all fundraising
committees of the school and the Newberry Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). It has a 501 (c) (3) status, so donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Additional purposes of Friends are:

  • to foster and promote quality education at Newberry Academy;
  • to seek involvement from the broader community;
  • to expand the resources available to Newberry Academy.

General membership of Friends include parents, faculty, staff, and community members of Newberry Academy that support expanding resources available to our school.

Raising Funds

Friends raises monies to fund needs at Newberry that go beyond the desks and chalkboards. Funds are raised to support and enhance the educational experience for each student and build a cohesive yet diverse community of learners.

Traditionally, Newberry’s annual Spring Benefit is the largest contributor to the Friends of Newberry account. The past three annual benefits have raised over $40,000 each year. This year’s benefit hopes to match, if not exceed last year’s success. For further information, please take a look at the Spring Benefit page on this site.

If you wish to make a contribution, please send your tax-deductible donation, payable to Friends of Newberry at:

Friends of Newberry

700 W. Willow Street, Chicago, IL 60614

Where do funds go?

Friends of Newberry has supported various initiatives at Newberry Academy, including:

  • Levelled books to enhance individual progress in reading at all grades
  • Everyday Mathematics
  • Partnership with a variety of cultural entities, such as the Vittum Theatre
  • New textbooks for different subjects and various grades
  • SmartBoards for the classrooms
  • Dell Laptop cart
  • Teacher staff development
  • Support for the school’s main office
  • And many others

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors consists of representatives from all ‘parties’ within the Newberry community. Each Board member serves a term of two years. The current Board is listed below, and will hold office until June of 2012:

Elizabeth Gitterle, Co-Chair, parent body representative
Ed Collins, Co-Chair, Assistant Principal
Shannon Maza, Secretary, parent body representative
Margaret Smith, Treasurer, parent body representative
Gladys Guerra, LSC representative
Lydia Murray, LSC representative
Linda Foley-Acevedo, Principal, Administration Rep
Susan Sweet, parent body representative
Susan Bailey, parent body representative
Lee Langill, parent body representative
Tim Thilleman, parent body representative
Julie MacMillan, parent body representative
Louis Navas, PPLC representative
Keiko Yamanaka, PPLC representative