They came ... they saw ... they ate ... and ate ... and ate. On Tuesday, April 29th, Whittier K-8 School was flooded with students, parents, neighbors and friends for "A Taste of Whittier" which was presented by The Denver Foundation and Footers Catering.
Local community members blanketed tables with tasting plates from as far afield as Ethiopia and as close as Welton Street. Children rappelled themselves off bouncy castle walls and crowded carnival game prize tables with fistfuls of well-earned tickets. Parents jostled cakes and cookies won at the cake walk. Local VIPs were caught scratching their heads as they tried to prove they were "Smarter Than a Whittier Student." And people stopped and gazed at the beautiful student artwork and the students' words of appreciation for their rising star of a school.
Whittier K-8 School is defying the odds as it achieves new heights each year in academic achievement. The recently released figures on the 2008 CSAP scores shows the 3rd grade readers brandishing a 63% proficiency rating - the district average being 51%. The school was also a 2007-2008 recipient of the DPS Distinguished School Award.
The "Taste of Whittier" was the brainchild of the recently formed Whittier PTFCO (Parent Teacher Family Community Organization) who organized the event. "We were thrilled with the way the community rallied around their local school. This affordable event still managed to raise close to $4,500 and we look forward to using the funds to enrich the experiences of students at Whittier K-8," said
Shelonda McNeal, PTFCO President. "We would love to see music, concerts, student council and more extracurricular activities for the students at Whittier."
As for next year, the PTFCO hopes to set the wheels in motion for another event. They would love to see "A Taste of Whittier" become an annual event that is a focal point of the Whittier community's social calendar.
For more information about a "Taste of Whittier", please contact
Karen Mortimer at 303-986-5929 or
whittiertaste@gmail.com.