Parent involvement encouraged at school

To the editor:

I am writing this letter to all the moms and dads who will be sending their children to school for the first time. I remember how that felt. I want to encourage you to volunteer at your child?s school.

I was a working mom with two kids in school and a preschooler when I went to a site team meeting. I got excited about the possibility of starting a parent/teacher organization at Pence. There were four of us on the committee: teachers Vickie Wahl and Terry Lewis and another parent, Kathy Trotter. I thought maybe we could have a bake sale and get a few parents involved. The others on the committee had bigger dreams.

I read in the book ?The Butterfly Effect? by Andy Andrews how a butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air ? eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet. It is known as The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions.

Out of that meeting Pence Pals was born. The first fundraiser brought in over $13,000, if my memory is correct, and eventually we were able to purchase the playground to the west of the building. There is no room to list all of the accomplishments of Pence Pals.

Thanks to Pence Pals, I can?t stop cutting out ?Box Tops for Education? coupons; only now I mail them in once or twice a year. I also keep Campbell?s labels, but I send them to Camp Courageous because Pence Pals stopped collecting them a couple years ago.

My baby graduated last May and attending his graduation party was his kindergarten teacher. I was so scared when I first met her! The teachers I met over the years became friends and I found they are the backbone of the community. You will see them participating in Fairfield Area Community Theater, the community band and many other volunteer organizations.

So, I encourage you to just go to the school and do a small part ? like a butterfly, flap your wings. 

? Pamela Fishel, Fairfield