“Renovation for Innovation” is the logo in the front of the red Forestville T-shirts all the staff and students wear on Spirit Day. Forestville kicked off this theme last year in an effort to incorporate the upcoming renovation into their everyday life. Within these efforts a new character trait campaign was incorporated, recognizing and rewarding students for showcasing good character-building traits. Now that the renovation is finally set to start in February 2016 all impetus is set in renewing not just the character of their students and the school but also its computer inventory. Over the past several months Forestville’s PTA has been working, in the name of innovation and creativity to find creative ways to raise funds for computers in their school. Forestville parent, Niu-Niu Chen, member of the PTA board as VP of Curriculum Enhancement, conveyed his message via this “When Sharing is Not Good” painting as part of their computer replacement campaign.
FORESTVILLE’S GOAL is to meet a student to computer ratio of 1:1. “With an increasing number of online textbooks and web-based learning, computers have become a necessity in our schools. And a dedicated computer for each student will greatly improve their learning experience, ” said PTA President Julie Ryan, after elaborating on the features of three learning software licenses the PTA purchased this summer for math and reading; RAZ Kids, TenMarks and Dreambox. Todd Franklin, Forestville principal added, “Our vision and mission is to bring fun and effective ways to teach math and reading into our classrooms. And, to offer the opportunity of this learning to continue at home via the web. Something like this would not be possible without the PTA’s contribution and their most recent purchase of 90 computers and three computer carts”.
Karen Deardorff, PTA’s VP of Fundraising, complemented the “When Sharing is Not Good campaign’s” creative efforts by coming up with the first ever Indoor Street Market coming this Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forestville Elementary. Aiming both at meeting this year’s Forestville PTA goal of building community and raising funds for computers, the Indoor Street Market promises to be not just a place where neighborhoods can gather, but a way to raise funds to achieve their 1:1 ratio of computer to student goal. “I welcome the opportunity to be creative and to rise to the challenge we have set for ourselves at Forestville. In the Spirit of our Character Trait Campaign of the month, positive attitude, we are embarking on this and other new ideas to set an example to our students to believe they can be creative and try new things,” said Deardorff. “It has been a marvelous journey to put together this Indoor street market. As a new family to our community I have fallen in love with the collaboration of our neighboring businesses and the interest our community shows in helping each other,” she said.
THIS INDOOR STREET MARKET will showcase a warm and welcoming place to shop for the holidays. The market will feature a silent auction of close to 100 items, over 40 vendors, warm apple cider, baked goods and poinsettia sales. There will be music and entertainment from local performers. With a caricature of Forestville’s principal to kick off the event, caricature artist Mikey Johnson will be there to serve young and old alike. Vendors will bring decorative pillows, jewelry, stationery, baked goods and so much more. More information can be found at www.forestvillepta.org.