It’s Back to School Time
It’s Back to School Time
Cheers to a New School Year, to Fall Weather, and to Pumpkin Donuts!
ECS Senior Art Instructor Deborah McGowan (right) with former art student Felicia Elom, during May’s Spring for the Arts Fundraiser. Photo / ellicottvilleNOW
Love me some summer, but I also love the excitement of a new school year approaching. I’m excited to see that big yellow bus come roaring to a stop at the end of our driveway. Excited for my kids to meet their new teachers, make new friends, and reconnect with old ones. Excited for first day photos, class fundraisers, and fall athletics. I’m excited to get back into routine (as most parents are, I’m sure).
I’ve got one kid heading into his senior year, and another moving up to modified - the first focused on his future, and the latter focused on her soccer career. A pivotal year for both of them… Like I said, I’m excited!
Here at ellicottvilleNOW, we like to showcase many of the great things happening at Ellicottville Central. Whether it’s school renovations, sports recaps or student recognitions, we like to stay connected so that we can keep our readers informed. Which is why when ECS hired a school resource officer, we took the time to get to know her. It’s why when Nick Pitillo launched fundraising efforts to replace the stadium lights on the varsity football field, we followed the journey. And when we learned the arts program could use a little boost in funding, we stepped in and asked what we could do to help.
SUPPORTING THE ARTS
Last May, our team worked alongside senior art instructor Deborah McGowan to organize a unique fundraiser to support the arts at ECS. Named “Spring For the Arts”, a dozen oversized wooden paint palettes were distributed to local artists who created beautiful works and then returned them for silent auction. These artists included Barbara Fox, Jenna Hadley, Felicia Elom, Cathy Lacey, Jenn Powers, Garret Lapi, Cole Lapi, Allie Cessna, Sara Goode, Samantha Stock, and Randy Zahm. To add to the local showcase, many of Ms. McGowan’s students created their own masterpieces on 8”x10” canvases.
An opening reception held at the Ellicottville Memorial Library invited the public to come preview the palettes and student canvases, and meet some of the artists. With silent bid sheets in place, it was exciting to see the interest from our community build as the evening moved along. Following the opening reception, art palettes were relocated to various businesses throughout downtown, opening up opportunity for even more bidders to vie for a beautiful piece to call their own.
Fast forward to the present… As we head into the 2023-’24 school year, Ms. McGowan is excited to announce that $800 was raised from Spring for the Arts. She plans to use these funds to purchase art supplies for her classroom and organize art-related field trips for her students. Yet another wonderful example of community coming together to help one another.
The arts are very much alive at Ellicottville Central School, thanks to the passionate efforts of Ms. McGowan and her students, and thanks to those in the community who share her passion by supporting school-related fundraisers such as Spring for the Arts. Whether or not you have school-aged children, you can find many opportunities to support ECS academics, athletics and other programs by keeping your eyes peeled for the monthly ECS newsletter, mailed to all district residents, or search Ellicottville Central School District and Ellicottville Sports Boosters on Facebook.
SPEAKING OF SCHOOL
What else am I looking forward to? EVERYTHING FALL! The change of colors, the cool nights, comfy hoodies, football (both my Steelers and your Bills), and something I always eat too many of - pumpkin donuts! Pumpkinville will be opening for the season on September 16th and you can bet I’ll be near the front of the line to purchase my first dozen of many through the season.
What’s your favorite Pumpkinville attraction? From the corn maze and Pumpkinville Express train to the jumpin’ pillows and apple blasting, Pumpkinville is a true family attraction that we as locals are so privileged to have right in our backyard. If you love Pumpkinville as much as I do, perhaps you’d like to work there. They are currently hiring part-time and full-time seasonal workers in all areas - cashiers, grill cooks, bakers, field workers, etc. It’s a great opportunity for teens looking for their first job experience, or for adults looking for a fun way to make some extra cash. (Come to think of it, the amount I spend on just donuts, pies and fresh apple cider alone, I may consider applying!) Check their FB page for the application link. I’ll see you there!
