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INfortwayne.com
August 14, 2015
Schools get a fresh look for fall By Garth Snow
Hundreds get backpacks through FWCS project By Garth Snow
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School employees and community partners became painters and landscape experts for one day. More than 200 volunteers helped to prepare 10 Fort Wayne Community Schools buildings for the new school year. In all, the United Way of Allen County’s 23rd annual Day of Caring brought 1,250 volunteers together to complete 80 projects. At Shambaugh Elementary School, volunteers cleaned up the grounds next to the main entrance. Crews pushed wheelbarrows to haul mulch to surround the trees. Curbs got a new coat of bright, yellow paint. Playground equipment got a fresh coat of blue paint. Polly Swenson painted curbs. She said she has participated in Day of Caring for three or four years. “It’s always good to give back and help out,” she said. “There are a lot of hard-working people
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PHOTO BY GARTH SNOW
FWCS employees Krista Stockman and Peter Yaruchyk refresh the landscaping at Shambaugh Elementary School. For more photos from Shambaugh and a closer look at the Day of Caring, visit INFortWayne.com.
here, and I think everyone really enjoys it. It’s good camaraderie.” Melanie Hall also painted curbs. She said she has worked with Day of Caring through other employers. “It’s great being able to help out at the schools,” she said. “We don’t have enough funding to do a lot of this kind of work. So it feels really good to help. The schools
are the most important part of our business.” Crews also turned out at Anthis Center, Bunche Montessori Early Childhood Center, Whitney Young Early Childhood Center, North Side High School, and Bloomingdale, Lindley, Maplewood, Price and Study elementary schools. In a statement, FWCS said friendships formed on
Snider principal promises to be visible and involved By Garth Snow
Day of Caring often turn into long-term partnerships between the businesses and the schools. “Day of Caring is a day we look forward to every year,” FWCS Superintendent Wendy Robinson said. “The day not only provides our schools with some needed pampering, it also serves as an example of the caring community we have in Fort Wayne.”
Three hundred Fort Wayne Community Schools students received free backpacks filled with new supplies, thanks to FWCS employees. Volunteers gathered at the Grile Administrative Center to pack folders, rulers, erasers and more. “We do something we call Casual Friday throughout the building,” said Grile Center employee Jacqueline Burnett, who was taking part for the third year. “If you want to wear jeans, each floor has a person who collects a dollar, and that funds most of this.” Some employees also donate items such as toys and Beanie Babies, she said. Community organizations and individuals also donate. The gifts include tooth brushes and other needs. Once packed, the bags are given to elementary school case managers, who work with principals
PHOTO BY GARTH SNOW
Volunteer Felicity Stockman counts erasers for next year’s backpack project.
to ensure that the bags are discreetly delivered to students in need. Burnett said the handbags are distributed before the start of the school year. In a statement, FWCS said this is the 22nd year the employees in the Grile Center, Maintenance & Operations, Media Services, Nutrition Services, South Transportation, Textbook Rental and the Warehouse have filled the backpacks. FWCS also works with outside organizations to assist students in need.
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PHOTO BY GARTH SNOW
Snider High School Principal Nicole Chisley said she understands the school’s tradition, and she is committed to helping the school to meet the community’s expectations.
visible to everyone, and to send a message that I’m here to serve the students, the parents, the staff. “We are creating 21st century learners to put out to the community, so I have to have a relationship with the community so I know what skills the
Wrongful Death, Trucking Accidents, Auto Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Dog Bite, Nursing Home Negligence, Boating/Lake Accidents, Electrocution/Burn Injuries, Worker’s Compensation
students need.” Chisley comes to Snider from South Side High School, where she served as assistant principal. She previously served in that role at Wayne High School. She first became a See SNIDER, Page A5
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Nicole Chisley said she wants to interact with the entire Snider High School community as she enters her first year as Snider principal. Chisley welcomed the public to a meetand-greet. “It was wonderful,” she said. “We had almost 300 people including students, parents and staff come through between 6:30 and 8 o’clock. I was able to place a face and name with a lot of people. It was awesome.” She said she continues to cultivate relationships and to seek opportunities to meet people. “I’ve reached out to the parent organizations that help make this place go,” she said. “I also make sure that I’m available and
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