Please join us for an open community meeting on the Greenfield Public Schools- Monday March 17th in the Federal Street School library from 6-8pm.
The idea for the meeting is to present some of the critical issues that people have mentioned about the Greenfield schools on Mike’s website (changegreenfield.com) and to ask the larger group if anything is missing/ for other important issues affecting the schools. These will be categorized into working topics. We will then ask people to break into smaller groups based on one of their their interests and have a discussion that 1) lists important issues within that topic and 2) begins to formulate some positive ideas about things the citizens of Greenfield (i.e., us) can do about these particular issues. Each small group will then give a short (5 minute) report of their discussion to the larger group. There will also be time set aside for people to get acquainted with one another.
Please bring a friend! We hope this will be the beginning of a long standing community engagement with the organizations and processes responsible for stabilizing and empowering Greenfield Public schools to be the best in the region.
I felt like the meeting last night was a really positive step, in spite of some people’s opinion that we are “thinking too big.”
That said, I agreed to take on the idea of marketing the Greenfield schools. I think that the need is to emphasize the schools as a forward thinking, diverse, communtiy-based school system that is responsive to the needs of the families that are served and the community at large. I can imagine this beginning to happen in a variety of ways: publication of an information packet that highlights the strengths of the public schools. This could be available for (among others) the families who will be considering preschool and Kindergarten options, and families making the move into middle/high school (as these were identified as the key “choice out” times.) I think it should also go out to area realtors, as they connect new families with the community and would definitely be effected by a decline in property values, as was mentioned last night. Other suggestions?
I also know that the idea of advertising in the paper was thrown out, but that we would need sponsors. Perhaps these realtors, who would feel the direct impact, would be the place to begin for sponsors. In addition, I think there are certainly some Greenfield based businesses who would be willing to pick up the $40.00 tab. And I love the idea of having the ads created by not just the drafting students, but featuring art/designs by students of all ages. So, we can consider that, as well. Should we begin the solicitation process? My concern is that, if we do contact businesses,w e need to do it in an orgnaized way, so that we do not have multiple contacts to teh same people.
I also think the whole community PR piece is crucial in keeping the process moving forward. For that reason, I loved the idea of a district-wide science fair or something along those lines. Again, we could solicit the participation of key community members/businesses for support in this. The newspaper would certainly be interested and I know 22 news is around sometimes-free PR is the best! Any other thoughts related to district-wide events.
As far as fundraising, I am glad to assist and have some ideas, but I think this needs to be a separate group. It will take a lot of time and energy and it woudl be difficult for me to manage. However, I will say that I think the bumper sticker idea is fabulous. I also have heard that the bridge dinner that is held in Shelburne has had tremendous success-Area restaurants contribute time and meals to an outdoor dinner for which the bridge that runs from Buckland to Shelburne is closed on a Sunday night. I am not sure what they charge now, but I think it started at about $20.00 per person. I can imagine something similar at perhaps teh energy park? A summer evening outdoors-I would certainly attend.
Please, please-if anyone has other thoughts/ideas/priorites they would like to see our Marketing group work on (or you would help us out) please email me: mowells@email.com
—-Odelle
Comment by Odelle Kinder-Wells — March 18, 2008 @ 11:16 am