“The PTA at Allen Frear is the embodiment of the PTA values of collaboration, commitment, diversity, respect and accountability,” Hodges said. “The officers of Allen Frear PTA represent their school proudly at every state leadership training, state convention and state legislative day. They are extremely involved at the state level with Delaware PTA, and each year they grow stronger and stronger. They have truly set the standard for PTA units throughout the state.” Dr. Terri Hodges, Delaware PTA State President
Picture this: 700 elementary school students laughing as they race around outside, playing games that promote fitness and reinforce what they are learning in their math, English language arts, social studies and science classes. Parents cheering on their children or volunteering across the field. Teachers getting soaked in the dunk tank. Oh, and raising more than $13,000 for the school. At Caesar Rodney School District’s Frear Elementary, students are gearing up for the school’s fifth annual Academic Olympics on Friday. The PTA-sponsored fundraiser is just one of the creative ways the school’s Parent Teacher Association engages families while supporting educators and students. “Our PTA is continuously innovative in thinking of ways to ‘raise the bar’ to support our students and overall school community,” said Principal Julie Lavender, who has been a Frear PTA member for 10 years, first as a teacher, teacher leader and assistant principal and now as principal. “At Allen Frear, you can’t distinguish the staff from the PTA members/volunteers. We are one team, working together, for a common goal of ensuring student success not only in school but in life.” Frear parents and teachers worked together to create the Academic Olympics, which promotes individualized learning. “Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, each student has an individual style of learning. Research shows that when students learn material a variety of ways, they are more likely to retain the information,” said Laura Merkle, the Frear parent and teacher who initially spearheaded Academic Olympics. Academic Olympics is the single largest fundraiser hosted by the Frear PTA each year, raising between $6,000 and $13,000 each year. Starting in mid-September and continuing into the first week of October, students collect donations from parents as well as community and business sponsors to raise money for student enrichment programs and activities throughout the year. Frear parents also regularly volunteer their time during and after school to support teachers and students and to increase program offerings. Parents partner with the school to coach Girls on the Run and other afterschool programs, and they regularly initiate and support clubs such as Yearbook Club and “Frear Gives Back,” a community service club kicking off this year. The group’s website promotes opportunities for parents to volunteer, and families can sign up for text reminders for school events. “We try to model a selfless spirit: Tell me what you want to do, tell me what you need,” Frear PTA President Heidi Lutman said. Lutman lists guiding behaviors when working with volunteers, including parents: optimism; seeing strengths in people; volunteerism; gratitude; over-thanking; recognizing strengths and helping people build upon them; making sure people know they made a difference and that they are important; and thanking publicly. Frear’s PTA, 2013 recipient of the Lt. Governor’s Excellence in Parental Involvement award, is a model for others across the state, said Delaware PTA President Terri Hodges, who once served as the group’s president when her daughter, now a middle school student, attended the school. “The PTA at Allen Frear is the embodiment of the PTA values of collaboration, commitment, diversity, respect and accountability,” Hodges said. “The officers of Allen Frear PTA represent their school proudly at every state leadership training, state convention and state legislative day. They are extremely involved at the state level with Delaware PTA, and each year they grow stronger and stronger. They have truly set the standard for PTA units throughout the state.” The school has a good, symbiotic relationship between PTA, parents, teachers, and administration, Lutman said. “We understand and trust each other. “Our teachers know they’re supported and that we go above and beyond,” she said. In fact, Frear’s teachers make up half of the group’s membership. The administration says it is committed to the relationship, too. With more than 700 students in grades first through fifth, educators at the school prioritize getting to know each child as well as his or her family, Lavender said. “It is our goal to make contact and provide an opportunity of involvement with every parent in the school at least once during the school year. “We recognize that parents are an integral part of our school community, and it is our belief that it takes a team to educate the whole child,” she said. “We view parents as part of our ‘team’ and use them as decision-makers to emphasize their roles as advocates for children. Parents are encouraged to provide input in making our school the best it can be through their involvement in our school committees and opportunities to volunteer.”
