BonnerSprings.com

With the second year of a unified carnival under their belt, Parent Teacher Organizations of the district’s three elementary schools are reveling in the bridges that have been built.

Bridges have not only been formed between the students and parents of the schools themselves, but Janet Crouch, president of the Delaware Ridge PTO, said connections have been made with local businesses as well.

“I just think (before) we were missing an opportunity to form a bond with the community,” Crouch said. “We’re starting now to learn to network with each other in order to benefit all the schools as a whole.”

The Student Hoopla carnival took place Saturday, April 24. Between five inflatables, 20-30 games, a raffle and silent auction and a reptile petting zoo, Crouch said the event was about celebrating the end of the school year for students of Bonner Springs, Delaware Ridge and Edwardsville elementary schools.

“I think it went really well,” Crouch said of the carnival. “Everything went off without a hitch.”

With the goal of unity in mind, Crouch said the Student Hoopla is just a stepping-stone in getting the district’s schools to work together. Crouch said before the schools were competing for the same audience when it came to fundraisers. Instead of fighting that battle, she said working together for the good of the entire student population made more sense.

Crouch described the hoopla as a “community building event” that involved several local businesses. With all the food and items in the raffles and silent auction being donated by local businesses, Crouch said the event really did encompass an entire community.

This isn’t the first time the schools have worked together with local businesses, however. Both McDonald’s, through McTeacher night, and Goodcent’s Subs and Sandwiches have played host to events in which a portion of their proceeds go back to the schools. In turn, Crouch said, the schools have ways to promote these businesses to the school’s parent base.

With a background in marketing, the business of helping others to help you is no stranger to Crouch.

“We are eager to look for those types of opportunities,” she said. “Local businesses need to tap into us as a resource. We’re all in this together.”

By working together on fundraisers, Crouch said it was the students who benefited the most. With so many budget cuts, Crouch said the PTO fundraisers allow for some extras to be kept in place.

“It’s a really good opportunity to bring some really fun things to school,” Crouch said. “Maybe because of shortness of staff or funding, things get cut. But parents are more than willing to come in and help. The hoopla wouldn’t exist without PTO. We’re able to put a little fun back in the schools for the kids.”

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