Foundation Awards Money for Education

The Fayette County Education Foundation has awarded over $9,000 this year in grants and scholarships to educators in the Fayette County Public School System.

More than $7,800 was given to 17 teachers at all school levels throughout the county to implement innovative learning programs in their classrooms, grade levels, and in some cases, the entire school. Awards are given to unique programs that are in addition to what is already being funded by the school system. Because these are supplemental programs, many would never come to fruition without monetary assistance from the Fayette County Education Foundation.

Three employees studying to become teachers received $500 scholarships to help offset their college expenses. The scholarships were awarded to the following paraprofessionals: Laurie Cannata, Braelinn Elementary; Autria Hairston, Fayetteville Intermediate; and Patricia Sanders, Oak Grove Elementary. Scholarship recipients must be employed as paraprofessionals in the school system and enrolled in an accredited teaching program through a college or university.

Counting this year’s grants and scholarships, the Fayette County Education Foundation has given nearly $190,000 to educators since its first awards in 2002. Funding would not be possible without the generous support of the business community, Fayette County Public School System employees and local individuals.

The foundation is a cooperative effort between the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Fayette County Public School System. Anyone interested in becoming a supporter of the Fayette County Education Foundation can contact Melinda Berry-Dreisbach at the Fayette County Board of Education, 770-460-3535.

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Educational Programs Receive Funding from Rotary

A $1,000 total donation from the Rotary Club of Peachtree City will be used to enhance learning opportunities for hundreds of students across the county.

The Fayette County Public School System’s Friends Mentoring and After School programs each received a $500 check as part of the Rotary Club’s initiative to support education and learning.

“We ask educators who know the needs and emerging trends, and if we can help in bringing resources for future learning, we are honored to do so,” says Karen Stephens, community service director for the club.
The donation will help fund the development of a math guidebook for mentors to get ideas for study materials and activities, and the purchase of training curriculum to assist After School Program sites in retaining or working toward receiving national accreditation.

This marks the third consecutive year that both programs have received donations from the Rotary Club of Peachtree City.

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Ronald McDonald gets a little help from Fayetteville Cops

The Fayetteville Police Department will be serving as a drop-off point for aluminum can tabs which will be turned over to the Ronald McDonald House to benefit their charity.

The mission of the Ronald McDonald House Charities is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. The Ronald McDonald House charities also operate temporary homes for families of children who are critically ill.

The Fayetteville Police Department is conducting this charitable operation in memory of Ava Scruggs-Roberson the infant grandchild of Donna Phillips, the Administrative Assistant to the Chief of the Fayetteville Police Department. Ava passed away February 18, 2009 at 8 days old. Phillips stated the Ronald McDonald House was an incredible blessing to their family during Ava’s illness.

Anyone wishing to contribute is encouraged to drop off their aluminum can tabs (tabs only) at the collection box which is located in the lobby of the Fayetteville Police Department.

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The Avenue Peachtree City Supports CARE

Eyeglasses, after school tuition, clothes, school supplies, hearing aid batteries, these are some basic needs that donations from the community and The Avenue in Peachtree City are helping fulfill for Fayette’s public school students through the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program.

The Avenue hosts free community events throughout the year where families can gather, have fun, and make an optional donation to support CARE. During the holiday season, the shopping center offered free carriage rides and photos with Santa, many patrons took the opportunity to give to CARE.

A check totaling over $1,500 was recently presented to CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler that included the community donations as well as a $1,000 contribution from The Avenue Peachtree City.

“We and our families appreciate all that this community and The Avenue does to support our students. Meeting basic needs is essential to a student’s academic success. In this economy, we have a number of families who are barely getting by. We want to help them as much as we can; donations like this enables us to stretch our reach,” says Spangler.

For more information about CARE, contact Spangler at 770-460-3990. To learn more about upcoming events at The Avenue Peachtree City, visit http://peachtreecity.shoptheavenue.com.

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Booth Students Help Children Battling Cancer

Students show off their Math-A-Thon participation certificates. Front row (L to R): Mikey Eberle, Sam Lyon, Brandon Snapperman, Mikeila McQueston, Samantha Miller, Richard Kohlhaas, and Haven Clark. Back row (L to R): Ji-Hoon Shin, Jessica Bell, Tyler Krikorian, Matt Marhefka, Anna Brachey, Olivia Pressel, Jessica Rodriguez, Jade Ponder, Shiori Ito, and Mary Howe.

Math paid off in a big way for students at J.C. Booth Middle as they raised funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

The school collected $2,323 for the hospital’s Math-A-Thon fundraiser. Students raised money by solving math problems, and asking family and friends for donations in support of their participation in Math-A-Thon. The proceeds will be used to help children battling cancer and other deadly diseases at St. Jude.

“We are so proud of our students for embracing Math-A-Thon and raising critical funds for St. Jude,” said Kristi Hardeman, coordinator of the event at Booth. “Every dollar raised will help support the St. Jude mission of finding cures and saving children in communities worldwide.”

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100 Pre-K Students to Get Free Monthly Books

The Rotary Club of Peachtree City and the Fayette County Public School System are working to help improve literacy skills among the county’s pre-k students.

The club has signed an agreement to establish the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy program in Fayette County. It has committed to funding 100 eligible pre-k students enrolled in the county’s school system.

Students participating in the program will receive a book delivered to their homes each month via U.S. mail until their fifth birthday. The children’s classic, “The Little Engine that Could,” is the first book each child receives and “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” is the final graduation book that is received when the child turns 5-years old. An expert committee composed of individuals from education, child development, academia, and early childhood literacy has carefully selected the books.

The purpose of the program is to increase early literacy skills by encouraging parents to read to their children at home. Research shows that the more words a child hears, the larger the child’s vocabulary, and the more likely the child will be a proficient reader. Parents cite one of the main reasons why they do not read with their child is the lack of quality books in the home.

In addition to receiving a monthly book, each child also gets a library card along with tips for the parents on how to read aloud with their child.

The program is free to participating families in Georgia and is made possible through private donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants. It costs about $36 per child, per year.

For more information about the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy program, contact Clarice Howard, coordinator of the Fayette County Public School System’s pre-k program via email at howard.clarice@fcboe.org or call 770-486-0149; or contact Karen Stephens of the Rotary Club of Peachtree City via email at karenannstephens@yahoo.com.

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Walmart Gives $2,000 to Peachtree City ASP

 (L-R) ASP Site Coordinators Cheryl Lopez, Peeples Elementary; Christine Clark, Kedron Elementary; Jennifer Campbell, Peachtree City Elementary; Patty Rose, Crabapple Lane Elementary; Robert Beasley, Walmart store manager; Sandy Jensen, Oak Grove Elementary; Carolyn Davis, Huddleston Elementary; Carol Banks, Braelinn Elementary.

A total of $2,000 in Walmart Community Grant checks has been given to seven Peachtree City After School Programs (ASP).

The Walmart in Peachtree City presented the grants to programs at Braelinn, Crabapple Lane, Huddleston, Kedron, Oak Grove, Peachtree City, and Peeples elementary schools. Each program has its own plans for the money. Some sites will purchase art supplies, crafts, and playground equipment, while others will fund science and math programming. One site will use their funds to pay tuition for three children to attend ASP so that their single mom can keep her newfound job.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity the Peachtree City Walmart has extended to our programs. This money will be used to enhance student activity areas and to create an enjoyable environment for our students,” says Julia Simpson, director of ASP.

ASP provides services to school age children within the school buildings where they attend day school; the program operates from the end of the school day until 6:30 p.m. Funding is through parent fees, grants and donations. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information about ASP, call 770-460-3990, ext. 255.

The Walmart Foundation strives to provide opportunities that improve the lives of individuals in communities including customers and associates through financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteerism. The corporation’s philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally involves store associates in determining how Walmart Foundation dollars are used to support causes that are important to them.

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FCHS Band and Kohl’s Support Angel Tree Program

Thanks to the Kohl’s Cares program and the Fayette County High School Band, high school students on the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) Angel Tree will have all of their Christmas wishes granted.

For the first time ever, the band decided to make their holiday concert a fundraiser for the Angel Tree. Students and parents were asked to bring clothing, toiletries, personal care items, gift cards and other requested gifts as donations.

Additionally, Kohl’s donated $500 to the Angel Tree plus another $500 to the Fayette County High School Band through its Kohl’s Cares program. A total of 10 employees from the Douglasville department store volunteered their time at the concert. Kohl’s Cares donates $100 to a nonprofit organization for each employee volunteer.

“This has all been just truly amazing. Although the economy is still bad, people have stepped forward to make donations and help our students and families in need. I cannot thank the Fayette County High School Band and Kohl’s enough,” says Karen Spangler, CARE coordinator and organizer of the Angel Tree project.

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School System and Fayette Holiday Helpers Thank Community for Generosity

Thanks to the generosity of the Fayette community, assistance from Fayette Holiday Helpers, local businesses, private citizens and employees of the Fayette County Public School System, all angels on the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) Angel Tree will have their wishes granted and then some.

Over 400 angels, representing students and their families who are in need, were part of this year’s Angel Tree project. Counselors at each school identified students who met the special requirements mandatory for inclusion: all adults in the household must be working or legitimately trying to find work, and the family’s combined income is not sufficient to make ends meet.

Angel requests are non-traditional and include basic need items such as clothing, blankets, space heaters, toiletries, and laundry detergent. While priority is given to meeting the basic need requests, donors do not stop there. Generally, they make sure that angels are also given some non-requested, fun items such as toys, bicycles and games.

“We couldn’t do this each year without the generosity of our community and organizations like Fayette Holiday Helpers. Thanks to all of the donations from churches, businesses, civic organizations and individuals, many children and their families will have a merrier holiday season. I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for making these angel wishes come true,” says Karen Spangler, the school system’s CARE coordinator.

Although the Angel Tree project is seasonal, the needs for students and their families are not. The CARE program assists those in need all year long by helping with After School Program tuition scholarships, extra curricular program fees, and various activity dues so that all students can feel a sense of inclusion and take full advantage of their school experiences. To make a donation, contact Spangler at spangler.karen@fcboe.org or call 770-460-3990.

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Payless Shoes and Holiday Helpers Grant Wishes of Angels

Helen Rickman of Fayette Holiday Helpers (left) and Karen Spangler with the school system’s CARE program accepted the donation of 150 gift coupons at the Payless Shoe Source in Fayetteville from store manager Johnathan Dennis.

Thanks to Payless Shoe Source in Fayetteville and Helen Rickman of Fayette Holiday Helpers, 150 students in need of shoes on the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) Angel Tree will have their requests granted.

The 2010 Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids program is a grass roots campaign to deliver $1.2 million in free shoes to children of families in need. Fayette Holiday Helpers was one of the nonprofits selected to receive gift coupons redeemable for children’s shoes; each gift coupon is worth $15. Fayette Holiday Helpers, which assists with the CARE Angel Tree project each year, donated all 150 gift coupons to help fulfill the wishes of Fayette County’s public school students. This marks the third year that Payless Shoe Source has provided the gift coupons.

“This is unprecedented. I cannot thank Payless and Holiday Helpers enough for their support. We have many children who are going to be thrilled to receive a new pair of shoes,” says Karen Spangler, the school system’s CARE coordinator.

The CARE Angel Tree project is designed to help working families struggling to make ends meet provide basic needs for their children. The tree fulfills nontraditional needs such as clothing, after school program scholarships, eyeglasses and dental work. All adults in the household must be employed in order for students to qualify for the program.

Photo source:  Fayette County Board of Education

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Blue Jeans Net Donation to FACTOR

Accepting the donation from Fayette County Acting School Superintendent Fred Oliver is (left) FACTOR Executive Director Becky Smith with Barbara Serapion (far left), FACTOR board member, and Donna Wright, of the school system’s finance department, looking on.

Employees at the Fayette County Public School System love blue jeans and a good cause. A total of $3,000 was collected for Fayette FACTOR (Fayette Alliance Coordinating Teamwork, Outreach and Resources) during jeans days at schools across the county.

In exchange for wearing jeans to work on a non-casual day, employees gave a donation to benefit Fayette FACTOR. The organization’s mission is to bring all areas of the community together to build a safe and healthy county. The school system’s donation will be used to help support the non-profit’s initiatives including Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Prevent Child Abuse Fayette, Fayette Meth Task Force and ENCORE, a senior adult leadership program.

Donations made to Fayette FACTOR are tax deductible. Anyone wishing to help the organization can make donations payable to Fayette FACTOR, P.O. Box 142518, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Contact Executive Director Becky Smith for more information, 404-291-1602 (office cell).

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The Avenue Helps CARE Provide After School Program Scholarships

The Avenue Marketing Manager Kim Tanalgo-Minshew (right) and The Avenue Peachtree City Merchant Relations Coordinator Lisa Hernandez (left) present the donation check to CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler.

Many working families are facing financial hardships, making it difficult, if not impossible, to pay for necessities such as after school care for their young children.

Thanks to the generosity of The Avenue Peachtree City and its patrons, CARE (Children at Risk in Education), a program of the Fayette County Public School System, is able to After School Program (ASP) scholarships to families of elementary-aged students enrolled in the system’s schools.

The Avenue Peachtree City raised over $400 this summer through Movies in the Park and Music in the Park. Although the events were free, the shopping center offered patrons the opportunity to purchase popcorn or glow necklaces for $1, with all proceeds benefitting CARE. Southern Outdoor Cinema donated the popcorn and The Avenue donated the glow necklaces.

“We are very fortunate and appreciative to have the support of The Avenue and its patrons. These are difficult times for our working families. Many have been forced to take pay cuts or jobs that pay well below what they were making. Now they are struggling with necessities like what to do with their young children between the end of the school day and when they get home from work. The scholarships are a way we can help with that struggle,” says CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler.

The scholarships pay for a portion of the ASP tuition for a limited number of weeks. Parents have to pay the other portion of the tuition in order to receive the scholarship.

The Avenue Peachtree City has scheduled several upcoming events where patrons can make donations to CARE to help with ASP scholarships throughout the school year. On Friday, October 15, families can watch the movie, “How to Train Your Dragon.” Children’s entertainment and giveaways begin at 6 p.m. followed by the movie at dusk. Popcorn will be sold for $1 with all proceeds benefitting CARE.

Also, there will be a Fall Festival on Saturday, October 30 from 3-5 p.m. with trick-or-treating at the stores, free crafts and complimentary photos by Wolf Camera. Donations for CARE will be accepted throughout the event.

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Rotary Club Donates Dictionaries to Third Graders

Third graders at North Fayette Elementary cannot wait to start looking at the pages of their brand new dictionaries. Pictured (L-R) are Arnold Campbell, Jordun Green, C.J. Okpala, and Kennedy Neely.

Receiving their own personal Webster Dictionary was as exciting as getting a million dollars for third grade students across the county.

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Peachtree City, all 1,426 third graders in the Fayette County Public School System received their own personal dictionary as part of the club’s Dictionary Project aimed at helping students become better readers, writers and learners. The organization has handed out dictionaries to the county’s third graders for a number of years.

“I have had high school students tell me that they still use the dictionaries they received in third grade. I’ve even heard about a college student who is still using his,” says Rotary member Karen Stephens, community services director-new generations.

Students are receiving their new Webster dictionaries just in time for Dictionary Day, October 16, in honor of Noah Webster, the father of the American Dictionary. He was born on October 16, 1758.

The Fayette County Public School System thanks the Rotary Club of Peachtree City for all they do to support the county’s schools, and encourages students and their parents to celebrate Dictionary Day by cracking open their new dictionaries and learning some new words together.

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Sara Harp Minter Elementary Raises Money for Relay of Life

Pictured on front row from left to right: Clayton Nelson, Joshua Oubre, Kazley Gilreath, Ella Hall, Addyson Corley and Olivia Owen. Back row from left to right: Mrs. Paulk, School Social Worker, Mrs. Harris, Kindergarten Teacher and Mrs. White, 3rd Grade Teacher.

Students and Faculty at Sara Harp Minter Elementary joined together in participating in the school's first Relay for Life Ice Cream Social which raised $500.00 for SHME's Relay for Life Team.  The Relay for Life Team will continue to raise money during the school year and all proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society in May when the Relay for Life takes place.

In addition to this fund raiser, the Relay for Life team will be sponsoring a used book sale Dec.1st and 2nd at SHME.  For donations or purchasing of books, please contact Mrs. Corley, corley.eileen@fcboe and visit the school's web page, http://www.saraharpminter.org

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Fayette County Real Estate Agency Donates Book Bags, Back-to School Supplies

Real estate agents Melissa Wallace, Dot Bosworth, Cheryl M. Green, and Cecilia Taylor, along with CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler, load the book bags on a cart at the LaFayette Educational Center.

Local Keller Williams Realty agents, through the company’s Cares for Kids program, donated 250 book bags filled with school supplies to help students and their parents prepare for back-to-school.

Agents spent the day on August 3 visiting schools around Fayette County delivering book bags filled with paper, pencils, crayons, folders and other supplies that will be distributed to children whose families need assistance with providing classroom materials for the new school year.

About 110 of the book bags were given to the CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program that will oversee distribution to children throughout the school system who are in need. Karen Spangler, the program’s coordinator, says this is the first year she can remember where parents started calling before school started to request assistance with supplies.

“Many of these parents didn’t need help last year, but because of the economy they need help now. This donation couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Spangler.

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Rotary Makes Literacy Donation

Peachtree City Elementary After School students (L-R) Kennedi Miller, Alexandra Duran, Christine Peterson and Jack Shafman eagerly look through the books donated by the Peachtree City Rotary Club.

Students in the Peachtree City Elementary After School Program have hundreds of additional books to read, thanks to the generosity of the Peachtree City Rotary Club.

The club donated the books as part of its initiatives for promoting early childhood reading and after-school care. Students will use the books for leisure reading as well as when working with reading tutors and mentors assigned to them during their stay in the after school program.

In addition to the books, the club also made a monetary donation to the Friends Mentoring Program.
“The Rotary Club has been so kind to After School and Friends Mentoring over the years. They understand the impact that a caring community can have on the overall education of our students,” says Jane Gough, program manager for the Friends Mentoring Program.

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Staples Makes Donation to CARE

Andrew Meaney, sales associate, and Sharon Francisco, assistant manager, at the Fayetteville Staples delivered donated items to CARE for distribution to the school system’s teachers and students.

This school year is over, but the staff at the Staples in Fayetteville is already looking ahead to the next one.

During the last week of school, the store donated a number of supplies to the school system’s CARE (Children at Risk in Education) program. Among them were calculators, dry erase boards, bike locks, and magnetic bulletin boards. CARE will distribute the supplies next year to schools and students that have been identified as being able to benefit from them.

“We are very appreciative of the numerous items Staples so generously donated. Our schools and students will put them to good use,” says CARE Coordinator Karen Spangler.

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Fayette Middle School Student Helps Peers in Jamaica Get Books

Growing up with immediate access to books through school, the county library, and bookstores, Adriannea Smith couldn’t believe it when she learned that her cousin had no books to check out at school. She decided then and there to do something about it.

Adriannea, an eighth grader at Fayette Middle School, and her family were visiting with relatives in Jamaica when she learned that students there do not have library books to take home. Her cousin told her that a ship from England comes twice a year with books that children can check out and return when it comes back.

“My reaction when I learned that children couldn’t get books was shocked. I couldn’t believe that they didn’t get books at their own school or that there wasn’t any bookstores around the block,” Adriannea says.

When she returned home, Adriannea approached her parents about organizing a book drive for Jamaica during Fayette Middle’s spring Literacy and Arts Fair. After securing permission from Principal Sharlene Patterson, Adriannea went to work making plans on how to publicize the event and get her classmates interested in participating.

“A couple of days before Literacy Night I handed out lollipops that had a label around them that said ‘Donate a book to Jamaica on Literacy Night!’ I handed out the lollipops all over the school to the kids and they were excited and said they would donate a book,” Adriannea explains.

Donate they did. Adriannea had a mental goal of collecting 250 books; her final total was 430. Students donated a variety of books including fiction, classic novels and resource materials such as dictionaries and grammar books.

Adriannea is an avid reader who enjoys fictitious crime mysteries and books about teen girls in school. She says books are something every student should have access to because they are as educational as they are entertaining.

“Books give students something to do in their spare time. They learn new things like words and have something to talk about with friends,” she says.

Adriannea is not done. Next year she will attend Fayette County High and hopes to have even bigger book drives. Any one who would like to help Adriannea with her quest to provide books to Jamaica can do so by contacting Anne Smith at 404-512-1770.

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A Year of Sewing and Giving Ends with Donation of Baby Quilts

Knowing how to sew might come in handy some day, but using newly acquired sewing skills to help the community is what students are doing now.

Students in Laurel Hinze’s Family and Consumer Science classes at Whitewater Middle have been busy this year learning how to quilt and sew. While students often make items to take home, those in Hinze’s classes have generously donated their creations to help various charitable organizations on a local, state and national level.

The latest and last donation of the year is from the seventh graders who have made baby quilts that will be donated to Promise Place in Fayette County. Working with Hinze and master quilter Therisa Burke, the students demonstrated their sewing abilities by completing 14 quilts, each signed by the students who made it along with notes of care and love. A personal drawstring bag accompanies the quilts and can be used to carry diapers, lotions, powders and other baby care items.

“We are proud of our latest positive and rewarding project that benefits both our students and community. It is wonderful to see the excitement in the eyes of our students when they sign their quilts,” says Hinze.
Two students, Sydney and Skylar, wrote on their quilt, “This took a lot of hard work, but it was worth it! Enjoy!”

The quilts will be presented to the Southern Crescent Quilt Guild meeting later this month. The Guild will deliver the quilts to Promise Place on behalf of the students.

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Play Golf at Whitewater and Help Support Kenya Mission Work April 24

Join First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City in a Golf Scramble at the Whitewater Golf Club on April 24 to help support mission work in Kenya.  It's easy.  Just pay your green fees and add a $25 donation for the missionary work.  Sign in at 11 am for a shot gun start at noon. 

Want to help more?  Opportunities are available to sponsor a hole for $150.  For more information, contact Tom McCann at 770-486-5596.


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