The Parent Teacher Association at the Early Learning Center recently received the Gold Apple Membership Growth Award from the New York State PTA for exceeding 100 percent growth over last year.

Led by co-Presidents Carolyn Rohde and Naomi Flinchum-Marquez, the group added 44 members for a total of 72 participants - more than doubling membership. Last year the group organized or participated in about 10 events, Flinchum-Marquez said. Those events include cleaning up the ELC garden, creating a sensory garden within the garden (thanks to member Brooke Ellsworth), sponsored awards and prizes for the Bee Prize Shop (for good behavior), a pop-up shop for the holidays at which students could purchase gifts for family and friends, butterfly kits for classrooms, ELC Field Day and the Pumpkin Patch. “Let’s all give Carolyn and the ELC PTA members a serious round of applause and thank them for their hard work this past year,” Flinchum-Marquez said.

The recognition letter the ELC PTA received from New York State PTA states, “Members from your community have embraced and supported students and teachers within your PTA which is a wonderful achievement.”

In addition to Rohde and Flinchum-Marquez, officers for 2021-22 were: Shalina Williams, vice president, Alexandra Ceribelli, treasurer; Eriah Feliz, secretary; Loretta John, corresponding secretary and Tavares Johnson, membership chair.

Congratulations to all of the ELC PTA officers and members. We hope you reach this goal again next year as a new group of students and parents become members of the ELC community.