Child Welfare Association hears about dedicated PTAs in Orleans County
Provided photo: Pictured from left include Barb Lehning, retired school administrator and member of Child Wefare Association of Orleans County; Amy Neal, treasurer; Christine Kinsey, president; and and Cindy Ames, NYS PTA field support coordinator.
By Cindy Ames, NYS PTA Field Support Coordinator
Have you heard about the Child Welfare Association of Orleans County? I hadn’t when I received a phone call from former Niagara Region PTA board member Joyce Chizick in February 2017. Joyce invited me to speak at their September meeting about the PTA units in Orleans County.
This is a wonderful, dedicated group of people which was established in 1957 to provide for children in many ways. This group provides funds to every nurse in every school (at least 12) in Orleans County for necessities that they might otherwise go without. It provides funds to libraries for children’s programming. It also provides numerous scholarships so that disabled children can attend the ARC Camp Rainbow.
I had the pleasure of singing the praises of our local PTAs in Orleans County and their impact on their communities. The Albion Elementary PTA (PreK-5) helps provide for school dances, supplies, and field trips. The Holley PTSA (PreK-12) helps with the Homecoming Parade, Halloween parties, Pick a Reading Partner (PARP), dances, an Ice Cream Social during their school budget vote, Senior Breakfast and senior scholarships.
Kendall PTSA (PreK -12) provides an anti-bullying program, Red Ribbon Week, Character Education Programs, high school scholarships, Book Fairs where every student receives a free book to take home and a book for each teacher’s classroom, PARP and the culminating Family Fun Night.
Lyndonville PTSA (PreK-12 ) assists with the Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program where dads volunteer in the building. They serve as a solid resource for any volunteers teachers may need. A unique program they bring to their community is the Community Art display. Monthly the PTSA displays students’ artwork in the windows of six central locations in the community. It’s a year-long community art show.
Medina PTSA (PreK-12) partners with their elementary teachers for several educational event nights throughout the school year to get students’ families involved in their education. Medina PTSA also established a Growing Orchard backpack program that benefits children in their district with needed nutritional food over the weekend, for which CWA helps provide funds.
The Child Welfare Association presented Niagara Region PTA with a check to help defray expenses for our region Spelling Bee which is being held at Lyndonville School District in May 2018.
