There are great traditions at the end of the school year at Whitney. In our PTO meetings, the phrase "end of the year activities" is bandied about when discussing fundraising. Now, it's that time of year and all of your fundraising efforts are about to be realized with fun activities.
We will have a FREE Ice Cream Social for students and their family to celebrate the end of the school year. This event is FREE to students and their families on April 14 from 4-5:30pm. There will be a Book Fair in the library and the Community Center will have sign ups for summer activities.
This spring semester has been marred by an ugly Legislative session. If you ever wondered whether or not our children listen to our adult conversations you must read the letter the PTO received from a Whitney student. One of our very own wrote to the PTO to express her concern for the school because of the budget cuts. She overheard her Nana discussing the education budget proposals and became so concerned she was moved to do something. This particular student has recruited a friend and they have started with chocolate chip cookies and an Apple Betty recipe and are holding their own bake sale during the Ice Cream Social to benefit the school.
My emotions range from ecstatic that young people (very young people at that!) care enough about their school to volunteer their time and energy to raise money in such a direct way and I feel a bit deflated because our children must they are a burden. To some extent, maybe that's the message the Legislature is sending to our kids and teachers: they are a "burden to the state."
Teachers and students are NOT a burden to the state. Teachers have the most important job in the world, teaching our young people how to become all the things we need them to be tomorrow. Students aren't just numbers in desks, they are our children and we love them unconditionally. When did we all become so jaded as to believe education is a burden?
So, here is what I'm proposing, if you feel like our students and teachers are not burdens and should be celebrated for what they have accomplished all year, then come to the school on April 14 and enjoy some FREE ice cream! If you can, bring some baked goods to contribute to this very special bake sale and take some time to do some extra special bake sale shopping.
While my waistline cannot afford more chocolate chip cookies, I cannot wait to make this bake sale purchase. Please join me in supporting these very civic minded students. Take time to shake their hands too, I have a feeling that someday these young women will be important people.
Nikki Rutledge
-Whitney Parent
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