Swallow Union picnic is grand success for APT and kids

On September 28th, Swallow Union’s APT (Association of Parent and Teachers) sponsored it’s first-ever Back to School Picnic. The weather was perfect, the attendance was outstanding (over 475 attendees), and the big hit was clearly the dunk tank featuring Swallow Union’s principal Peter Myerson, gym teacher Sean Murphy, and fourth grade teacher, John Trainor. Children of all ages waited patiently for a chance to dunk one of them and in some cases, a few children scored big by dunking all three!

Swallow Union "Back to School" Picnic/Fundraiser

Looking out over the field behind Swallow Union, you could see children going from one activity or game to another. Whether it was the dunk tank, football toss, sack race, whipped cream eating contest or one of the many other games, children were laughing and parents had a chance to relax and catch up with each other. Among the attendees were many teachers and staff members. First grade teacher, Jennifer Marino applauded the evening stating “It was really nice to see all the kids and families there and to be able to bring along my own family.” The evening ran smoothly as a result of the many volunteers, which consisted of parents, teachers/staff members, and local high school students.

In response to feedback from parents, the APT committed last year to reduce its fundraising efforts to one major fundraiser each year. The board members decided to continue with the Swallow Union Raffle (formerly Holiday Raffle) and combine it with an event where the raffle winners could be drawn at, while bringing the school community together. Back in April, APT President Leslie Blodgett met with Kim Terwilliger and Kristen Irby, who agreed to Co-Chair the Raffle and Picnic. Kim and Kristen put together a stellar group of team leaders including Cheryl Scammel, Rene Whitney, Sue Whitney, Karen Johnson, Carol Towle and Jen Spencer and the result was a very successful fundraising event.

By the smiles on the faces, it was easy to see that everyone who went had a great time!

Click here to see more photos from the event.

In this month's Swallow Union Newsletter, Principal Peter Myerson commented on the spirit of the evening, saying: "I can’t explain in words what an event like this does for a school’s morale and togetherness. In my sixteen years in education, I have never been involved in a school-sponsored event in which the majority of our families were able to attend and have such a great time. " He went on to recognize the APT's success by saying, "Holding a back to school picnic was a wonderful idea in itself. The fact that the awesome enthusiasm and support that came from the parents and students enabled us to reach our fund raising goal for the year was icing on the cake."

Between the raffle and picnic, the event raised over $12,000. The APT uses these funds to provide enrichment programs for the children and staff at Swallow Union. Some examples of the enrichment programs are field trips, literacy funding, computer lab funding, and classroom funding. The APT is an important aspect of the school community, and the board members look forward to keeping a fun and successful event like the Back to School Picnic in its future plans.