Welcome Back

“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last
forever.”
~E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

The melancholy of a summer winding down is very real, but we are left with
beautiful memories of summertime fun, and the memories bring a smile to the
heart that grows more precious over time. As much as we might think that we
want the sunny season to last, we cannot deny the fact that we have that inner
drive that allows us to embrace the coming of the new school year with hope and
enthusiasm for all that it will bring. We are, after all, a community that thrives on
the opportunity and growth that come from quality education.

Together with your help, we at the Charter Oak Education Foundation are aiming
for greater heights in the new 2018-2019 school year. With the collective effort of
our partners, members of our community, and fund raising participants, we raised
$39,000 last year for our Charter Oak schools. Our end-of-year donation
purchased ChromeBooks, an art wall, STEM supplies, iReady materials, and
supplies for intervention. This year we want to do more.

We will kick off our fundraising season with our 5th Annual Oak Tree Challenge
5K/1 Mile Run/Walk. The event will be held on a Saturday this year—September
29, to be exact, at Charter Oak High School. Sign up to run or walk, or if you’d
prefer to cheer from the stands, you can donate $5 and receive a pancake
breakfast.

Charter Oak schools, start your engines! We launch our Drive for Supplies
contest September 18 and 19. Each school will race to reach the checkered flag
with the highest number of reams of paper donated to their school. The winning
school will receive a $100.00 Staples gift card, but in truth every school wins in
an event such as this, since each school gets to keep the supplies donated to
their school.

Our calendar is full with the events we have planned for the year. We have the
September 29 Oak Tree Challenge, the Turkey Bowl is November 3, we will
participate in the December 7 Charter Oak Holiday Parade, our 5th Grade
Knowledge Challenge is January 22, our 6th graders will hit the hoops for March
Madness March 4 through 11, and we will close out the year with our Hall of
Fame Dinner April 27. More information will be sent out as each event draws
near.

It will be a great year indeed for our Charter Oak students, staff, and families.
Summer vacation might be over, but the future is bright, and warm, and aglow
with wonder. So let’s go get it!