Woodstock School PTA Officers, President Destiny Hughes, left, Vice President Heather Pingree, Treasurer Cassandra Stevens, and Secretary Cyana Cannatella. Rose Lincoln/Bethel Citizen
BETHEL — The Woodstock School has just 52 students and a bulging bank account.
“Our PTA is kind of incredible. It’s a lot different than most PTAs in the State of Maine … We raise thousands and output thousands,” said PTA President Destiny Hughes. With a coffer of $15,000, they recently spent $1,000. for Teacher Appreciation Week. “We try to appreciate them [the staff] for all they do,” said Hughes of Greenwood.
For the large budget, she credits previous PTA parents, “who really knew what they were doing,” like setting up a lucrative bottle return at the Greenwood/Woodstock Transfer Station.
The committee
Meeting on the first Wednesday of every month are officers, Hughes (mother to sixth grader Justice; kindergartener, Lincoln; and three-year old Grant); Vice President Heather Pingree, (mother to 6th grader Xander and 3rd grader Jamison); Secretary Cynara Cannatella, (mother to 6th grader Lucy, and third grade twins, Thea and Clio) and Treasurer Cassandra Stevens, (mother to 5th grader Sophie). Others come to the meetings, too.
Hughes is in her seventh year as a Woodstock PTA member and is in her first year as a SADD-44 school board member. She said it was important for her to hold a seat on the school board, since they hadn’t had a current Woodstock parent representing SAD-44 for many years.
She and principal Beth Clarke fought for the return of two teacher positions to the Woodstock School. “Multi aged classrooms are never benefiting any children. They are giving us back our full teacher roster,” said Hughes. The cafetorium rug and tables will be replaced, too. “[Mark Kenney] has made all the difference for us, already,” she said.
Hughes said she is recruiting for a second unfilled Greenwood school board position and also for someone to replace Treasurer Stevens who will step off the board when her child graduates from Woodstock this year.
“Our PTA is not like what you see in the movies, We’re not snobby, we’re not judgy,” said Hughes. She said the camaraderie and acceptance was passed down from prior officers.
“I have been living in Maine for 23 years. I didn’t have friends or people I could confide in until I joined the PTA with these girls,” said Stevens.
Fundraisers, events
Hughes said they are trying to preserve traditions at Woodstock, while embracing modernity.
Recognizing families vary in make-up, their father/daughter dance is now a family dance.
Continuing in a 24-year tradition they will hold their popular fundraiser Basket Bingo on April 13 at the Greenwood Legion Hall. The Longaberger baskets they give away will be filled with prizes. They will open the doors at 11 a.m. After lunch, at 1 p.m. bingo will begin.
On May 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the PTA will bring back a craft fair that previously was held in the Fall and had waned in the years before and during COVID. Stephanie Inman, a former Woodstock mom, and owner of Mollyockett Farm and Bakery will run the kitchen at the Woodstock School serving lunch and her homemade desserts.
Other events the PTA sponsors are Cookies with Santa, open to everyone and held after the Woodstock Tree Lighting each year, “The focus has grown to be more community building,” said Cannatella.
On Halloween they host a giant party for the Woodstock School children.
They support the fifth graders on their trip to Boston. This year they sent the fifth graders to a sleepover at the 4-H Club, too.
They help Woodstock families who have had tragedies.
Because of their hefty budget they are able to help with building updates, too. They paid for all the electrical work for a dryer to be installed at school then paid for the dryer, too. They plan to fund an outside outlet to power the school’s recently erected yurt. They bought the wood for the yurt’s platform; a new griddle for Walt [Inman], the food service manager in the cafeteria; and a Keurig for the teachers.
Special place
Asked why she does this work, Hughes said, “The kids love it. Watching them and how excited they get and knowing it’s the same stuff I did from when I was a kid. It does bring me a lot of joy,”
All the officers recognized The Woodstock School as a special place, in part because of it’s size. “I grew up in a big city in Massachusetts, so I was number,” said Stevens.
Hughes said when she went to Woodstock as a child, Mrs. Littlehale was the principal. “I loved it,” she said. Her brother is four years younger so she returned often to volunteer when she was in middle school. More recently, her oldest child had Jess Wilkie as his principal and now Beth Clarke is at the helm. “Beth has been wonderful in her new role, giving us the open arms that Jess always did,” said Hughes, who cried when Wilkie left.
Cannatella said one of her children went through a phase of arriving at school and not wanting to get out of the car. Many teachers and other staff came out to coax her daughter inside.
“It’s an amazing nurturing place… its such a treasure,” said Cannatella.
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