A treasured event, a local school’s annual supper supports the school while bringing the community together.
Organized by the Franklin Elementary School’s Parent Participation Organization (PPO), the annual spaghetti supper has been a tradition in the community for over 25 years. Initially beginning as a way to raise funds while also opening up the school to the area, the spaghetti supper has become an event that locals look forward to every autumn.
This year, Rockburn resident and parent Marie Shewchuk has taken on much of the organizing for the supper. The local caterer, who is also a member of the PPO, will be serving up her version of a traditional spaghetti supper. “This event is 100% for the benefit of the children, so their experience at Franklin Elementary School is met to the fullest,” said Shewchuk of the supper. Blair’s Apple Orchard has also stepped in to donate their both time and supplies to the cause, with their delicious apple crisp being served as dessert (takeout will be available for those who can’t make it into the school’s gymnasium for a sit-down meal). The family-friendly event will also include a special treat for the little ones this year—the Scholastic Book Fair will be hosting a sale throughout the supper, with a percentage of sales filtering back into purchasing books for the school library (this is an effort that actually takes place year-round through Scholastic’s book order program). The students have even taken the time to create handicrafts that will be on sale throughout the evening, with all proceeds going to support the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Consisting entirely of parents whose children attend the school, the PPO is a community that is dedicated to both the good of the school and students. In the past, the PPO has been run chiefly by Adele Brunet. This year is local Kelly Elder’s first as chief organizer of the PPO. “It is a lot of work, but nothing gets accomplished without the time donated by the parents in this group,’ she says of the experience. ‘They are an amazing group of people who care for their children and Franklin School like it is one big family.”
In the past, funds raised have gone towards subsidizing transportation to events for students and to supporting different programs, as well as to necessary classroom items. This year, funds brought in from the supper will go towards supporting a new after school art club run by Amber Maither in conjunction with the school’s Community Learning Center (CLC). Funds will also go towards supporting interschool teacher sharing time, which is a great help to the students. This year, PPO efforts have made it possible for each student to receive a Christmas gift in the form of a book, which will be given at the school’s annual turkey dinner for the parents and students.
