COMMENTARY: Greenhouse A Perfect Example Of Community Gifts

Thursday, January 30, 2014

This past week, my view out my office window has consisted of earth movers clearing and preparing a space for a greenhouse that will support the academic work of our Fayetteville High School agriculture students.

I enjoyed watching this tangible process of progress!

So much of the progress enjoyed by our district is a direct result of philanthropic gifts and grants made by a local and national community dedicated to excellence for our students. This new greenhouse is a perfect example.

Truity Credit Union and the Truity Education Foundation have contributed the money to make this greenhouse a reality through gifts to the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation.

In the next months, our students will have practical experiences working with a variety of livestock in their animal sciences classrooms in the agriculture center. Supplies and support for aspects of this program were also granted to the schools by our friends at Tyson Foods through the foundation.

Our community delights us daily with the gifts and support they offer to our staff and students.

In the next months, construction will start on six new walking tracks at six of our schools, all supported by former students such as Wallace Spearmon, national foundations such as Saucony, grants from the state of Arkansas, and Arkansas businesses such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Our biking and exercise programs will benefit from these new tracks. The local Endeavor Foundation supports activities on those tracks, including helping the district purchase additional bicycles and train Fayetteville High School students to repair them.

And the list goes on. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has provided generously for our students to learn archery, Cox Communications has given money to support computer labs in Fayetteville High School, Share Our Strength is helping several schools offer breakfast in the classroom, and the Starr Foundation has sponsored Fayetteville High Schools’ drama program.

Many, many others also give their time, talents and resources to support the Fayetteville Public Schools.

On a local level, this community has rallied to support our district in numerous ways, most obviously through the construction and renovation of Fayetteville High School.

Your gifts inspire our students. You may have seen our students supporting their own, a week ago at the annual homeless vigil raising money and food items for the district’s Families in Transition program.

Students at the Fayetteville schools are learning by your example to give back to their community.

VICKI THOMAS HAS SERVED AS SUPERINTENDENT OF FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SINCE 2009.