When community comes together, students are the winners

When community comes together, students are the winners
Boys’ basketball has been a regular afterschool activity at Trinity Lutheran Church for the past 20 years.

The public elementary schools in Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods enjoy a longstanding history of community involvement that spells success for their youngest students now and throughout their lives.

At many Duval County public elementary schools, three parent groups – the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Student Advisory Committee (SAC) and “Friends” of the school, a fundraising arm – work with teachers and the principal at schools to obtain resources needed beyond what the school can fund.

For example, Erin Scharer, who is on the Health and Wellness Committee of Hendricks Avenue Elementary School’s PTA, said her committee performs vision and hearing screenings for the school as well as coordinates the Walk/Bike to School Day in San Marco.

Friends of Hendricks Avenue Elementary School funds teacher grants and high-cost items like laptop carts, while Henricks Avenue Partnership Initiative (HAPI), a faith-based partnership between Southside United Methodist Church and Hendricks Avenue Elementary School, serves students and the school with after-school programs such as tutoring, digital music academy and Dance for Joy. The partnership also provides Backpack Blessings stuffed with supplies, a new outfit and shoes for students at the beginning of the school year; Friday Food for Families grocery delivery for two families; and Angel Tree Christmas gifts and a homecooked meal for all families in need.

In Ortega Forest, Friends of Stockton raised funds in the past year to put iPads in every classroom, create all-in-one media systems and purchase STEM materials and a new STEM lab, according to Stephanie Freeman, treasurer of Friends of Stockton.

West Riverside Elementary School benefits from many community organizations that provide everything from food to educational materials to character building to healthcare to mentoring. Blessings in a Backpack, with the help of Avondale United Methodist Church, gives nutritious snacks to select students on Fridays for the weekend. Bean Tree Dentistry provides nutritious snacks in partnership with Riverside Publix for student celebrations and gives lessons on dental hygiene. Feeding Northeast Florida coordinates a mobile food pantry several times a year for families needing help.

Last year, CenterState Bank and BoatUS donated school supplies for West Riverside students. The Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and Ortega Orthodontics donated funds for reading intervention curriculum, new art tables and a new speaker system; end-of-the-year academic celebration and academic-related incentives throughout the year; and other general expenses. Riverside Presbyterian Church’s Caring Tree donates gifts for select families around the holidays.

American Civility Association uses “Precious Not Prickly” curriculum to promote kindness and organizes the annual “Kindness Week” in February. Jean Grant-Dooley and Bud Para coordinate a group of 30 adults, mostly members of Riverside Presbyterian Church, in providing Lunch Buddies, a nearly 20-year-old program at West Riverside. One adult is paired with one student and they meet once a week during that student’s lunch time in the school building to talk or play games.

“Just once a week has a tremendous impact, because the student knows for that short time someone is paying attention to only them,” Para said. “It doesn’t matter if you play a game, read a book, or just talk. What matters is being with them.”

For 20 years, an association of churches in Riverside and Avondale called Children’s Enrichment Workshops (CEW) has provided quality after-school enrichment programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the school year for West Riverside, Central Riverside and Fishweir Elementary Schools.

Trinity Lutheran Church offers yoga and boys basketball; Riverside Avenue Christian Church hosts Melody Makers; and Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd runs Computer Lab for about 70 students weekly. Church members provide a snack for students each afternoon. Funding from individual gifts, family foundations, bequests and “love offerings” cover the costs of transportation, supplies and stipends for staff.

CEW’s goal is to provide a safe place for students after school ends. The kids benefit from extra attention and experience activities that their parents can’t provide because they work and/or don’t have money to pay for these experiences. The teachers select the students who will benefit the most from participating in CEW.

“CEW is a wonderful faith-based partnership of churches working with schools to enrich the lives of children,” said the Rev. Robert Kinley, Trinity Lutheran’s pastor.

Riverside Children’s Arts Center provides Melody Makers, classes in instrumental music, mixed media arts, visual arts, yoga, and private lessons for children and families, and covers the cost of the teacher.

“We’ve watched children go from being terrified of speaking to singing at the top of their lungs within a matter of weeks,” said the Rev. Erin Dickey, Riverside Avenue’s senior pastor.

Schools succeed when educators, parents, and communities collaborate. Given that, many of the public elementary schools in our historic neighborhoods are well on the right path.


By Karen J. Rieley
Resident Community News

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