Thursday, June 26, 2014

Thank you!

The PGO's last letter to families for the year is below & can also be accessed at this link: letter

Thank you for a great school year.  
Have a wonderful summer,
Your PGO



June 20th, 2014
 
Dear Crocker Farm Families,
 
What a year!  Looking back, we have fond memories of so many school events from the year.  We are grateful to everyone who helped with various PGO events or activities this year, who supported our events by attending, or who contributed to our annual appeal or participated in our other fundraisers.  All Crocker Farm families are automatically part of the PGO, and we couldn’t do what we do without you.  We are grateful too to the school staff and teachers, especially the staff in the front office: Dr. Tesauro, Mr. Shea, Ms. Mills, & Ms. Aldrich.  Thank you for your help throughout the year. 
 
Some of the highlights of the year for the PGO:  (though there are too many to mention in a short list)
  • Chess Club.  The PGO restarted the afterschool chess club, and close to 60 students participated.  Amherst College student volunteers assisted with the club, and we had a special guest, Charles Hertan, a highly rated chess player who writes books for kids about learning chess.
  • Winter Clothing Share.  This year, with PGO support at all the Amherst public schools, the winter clothing share expanded to all the schools and served many more families. 
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.  The PGO coordinated the school-wide breakfast and funded Evelyn Harris’ performance at the event. 
  • Book Swap.  It was so wonderful to see students enjoying their “new” books.  We are grateful for all the book donations we received from families and from our librarian Ms. McQuaid.
  • Mosaic Mural.  This beautiful addition to the Crocker Farm School involved the whole school community, and has so many wonderful details, we could look at it for hours.  Special thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their partial funding of this project, and to our art teacher Ms. Travis and mural artist Mr. Winer for all their work with students creating the mural.
  • Science Night.  The PGO leaders first talked with Dr. Tesauro about having a school-wide science night when we met with her in July 2013, and it was so nice to see it come to fruition. What an event!  Many thanks to the teachers and classes for their informative science displays, to Dr. Tesauro and the guidance staff for arranging the bus transportation, and to all the volunteers.  
  • Crocker Press.  The “publishing” of stories from Crocker Farm’s kindergarten through third grade students is truly a labor of love.  Teachers have their students prepare stories, and then volunteers type them, print them, and bind them into books using student-illustrated covers.  Special thanks to parent Jeni Kaplan for coordinating this year’s Crocker Press and carrying on this wonderful, long Crocker Farm tradition.
The Crocker Farm PGO is still seeking volunteers to join the PGO leadership team for next school year.  PGO positions are flexible and can work around volunteers’ schedules, and serving on the leadership team is a very rewarding experience.  If you are interested in serving as a PGO officer or in finding out more, please contact us.  
Have a great summer!  
 
Tracy Zafian & Justyne Ogdahl,
Crocker Farm PGO