The Full Story
Overview
Leland Bridge Parents Group is a non-profit organization (Tax ID – 81-0567555) run by the Chinese-American parents of Leland High School. This organization is committed to facilitating communication between the school and Chinese-American parents and fostering parent participation in school-wide activities.
We believe well-communicated and actively-involved parents help provide a better educational experience for all Leland students. In order to keep parents updated about important school subjects, a monthly newsletter is emailed to all Leland Bridge families. We also organize seminars on various topics for our students and parents throughout the year, such as Pathways to College, Life As a Charger, College 101, and How to Talk So Teens Listen.
Every year, Leland Bridge Parents Group contributes $20,000 - $25,000 to Leland High School. The funding is mainly used for school equipment purchase, supporting various school programs including speech and debate, robotics FTC 8404 and 604 teams, school journalism, and other school clubs, holding events, such as Leland Bridge Night, Freshman Welcome Party, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Staff Halloween Party and seminars, etc.
Leland Bridge Night is our biggest annual fundraising event around the Chinese Lunar New Year. It combines the talents of two generations of Chinese-American parents and their children. Every year, several hundred audiences, including school district representatives, principals, teachers, parents, and students, gather together to enjoy the fun and entertaining performances, and to show the support to the school.
Founded in 2001, Leland Bridge has become an integral part of the support system for Leland High School.
For more information, including how to receive our newsletter, the upcoming events, how to support Leland Bridge and become a member, membership benefits, and donation details, please check out our website https://www.lelandbridge.org. Connect with us on Facebook, IG, Discord, and WeChat (links at the end of the Leland Bridge website).
From the Founders
Our History
By Co-founders of Leland Bridge: 胡文玲 (Wenlin Chen), 梅慧娜 (Eleanor So), 黃花燕 (Huayan Wee), 楊前玲 (Irene Chen), 葉愛珠(Ai-Chu Wang)
Leland Bridge 的萌芽機緣非常的偶然。在2000年冬，有位孤軍在家長會幫忙的華裔家長向黃花燕透露了白人家長對華裔家長的不滿：華裔學生成績優異，領走了大部分家長會設立的獎學金，而當時家長會在為Media Center的建立努力募款一年多下來，卻不見多少華人家長認捐，和當時華裔佔1/5學生人數不成比例，平日學校事務也不見華裔家長出面幫忙，是一個只取不給的族群。花燕是一位資深慈濟志工，常年帶動他人幫助弱勢族群，組織力極強，若是換了別的華裔家長聞言，大約不會有後續這樣一番發展了。她立刻找了常和她合作的志工梅慧娜和楊前玲商量辦法，隨即找了胡文玲，這四人一人負責一個年級，還找了葉愛珠負責校友，分頭連絡華裔家長進行募款，在短短的三週內滙集了三萬多元，臨門一腳補足了興建 Media Center 所需經費。
但是我們並不覺得大功告成，因為在勸募過程中，我們發現家長不是不関心校務，而是因語言文化的隔閡對學校事務一無所知。如何增加同胞移民家長對學校的瞭解成為我們自設的下一個工作目標，胡文玲建議定期出一份中文newsletter, 並自告奮勇編寫第一期newsletter，葉愛珠建議以Leland Bridge作為這份以作溝通橋樑自許的中文期刊名稱，我們幾人自己出錢出力在2001年春季向華裔家長發出了第一期 newsletter. 內容介紹這期刊的緣由,校務新聞、及校內幾個家長組織、並為以後的期刊編印寄事項招募義工.
當時校長Susan Votaw 得知她的學校居然出現了一份介紹校務奌滴的中文期刊，立刻積極安排我們五人進入當時所有有家長參加的組織：Leland Foundation（以募款為目的），Parents Club (工作廣泛，包括校內各活動的人力財力支援），School Site Council (是學區和校方互動的平台）及 Transformation Board (目的在推動教學科技化)。我們分別出席幾次會議後，就發覺若沒有實體家長作後盾，好像不過是個人參與，意義不大，必得有個華裔家長自己的組織, 擴大參與人口。花燕憑她多年組織慈善團體的經驗，提出我們必須要一個常設的組織架構及規範架構成員的Bylaw,才能代代相傳，永續經營。我們討論出的組織架構內有（1）到學校各家長會的代表組,（2）義工組,（3）Newsletter組,（4)財務,（5）文書（開會紀錄及保管Bylaw等文件）. 同時也擬定了 Bylaw, 內容包括組織宗旨、行政結構，各職位責任及任期，以及最重要的--募款的運用原則和批准程序。於是一個定名為”Leland Bridge Parents Group” 的華人家長會就在2001年秋天正式誕生了，由胡文玲任第一任會長, 楊前玲任財務, 其他常設職位也都請到熱心的家長擔任。
緊接著，我們就辦了一個凝聚力量的晚會，為學校籌款，當年花燕和慧娜到各商家挨戶去募禮券禮品作為募款義賣及抽獎奬品。第一次 Bridge Night, 我們募到$5,000多元，到了2007年 Bridge Night, 在當時能幹的會長蘇春敏的領導下, 居然能募到三萬多元。那幾年的募款活動總會出現令我們驚喜又感動的捐者，有位單身的藍永光先生，非常認同我們的宗旨，慨然捐出$7,500。有位孩子已畢業的家長Tom Wei 提供$6,000作為speech and debate team 的獎學金, 分四年發出。這些義行維持了我們高昂的士氣。
除了募款補助校方設備之外，我們也發動華裔家長到校園幫忙，如每年通霄的Grad Night值班巡邏及龐大的善後工作,承包 Teachers’ Appreciation Luncheon、各種考試監考....等，增加華裔正面形象。
2002年夏天, 在當時會長楊文豪 (Morgan Young)的推動下, 我們架設了自己的網頁 https://www.lelandbridge.org/ 使家長能及時得知學校動態。
我們很高興Leland Bridge Parents Group在成立 20 多年後繼續運作，使移民的華裔家長並不因文化語言的隔閡而自絕於外圍，積極的和本土家長並肩合作，出錢出力提升孩子學校的教育品質。
Our Logo
The design concept is built around the purpose and philosophy of Leland Bridge.
The Bridge Motif
The image that most people see first is the bridge. This represents the original ideas of Leland Bridge—as a bridge between cultures, and a point of connection between parents and the school.
The waves below the bridge suggest water—representing our travels over the Pacific Ocean. And the bridge arches over the water in a circle, a shape often featured in classical Chinese architecture.
The Bird Motif
The bird motif is a cultural reference. You know the story: two young people separated by a river of stars, lovers who may meet but once a year, when reunited by a bridge of birds. This is the tale of the weaving girl and the cowherd….!
Families often discover that Leland Bridge Night connects students and their parents in an unexpected way, much in the way that traditional stories preserve culture across generations.
The Moon Motif
The white circle background can be seen as the moon, across which the birds fly. Cuts in the white circle are intended to lift the main design and frame the text. The Roman characters were chosen in a simple, elegant style—to fit a respected Leland institution with a long history of supporting our school.