Recently, Afton Apple was awarded the WASDA Bert Grover Child Advocacy Award. Afton Apple has had an impact in the Prescott School District. Prescott superintendent Jim Reif connected with KDWA and shared about this partnership and the student impact.
“Going all the way back for the last 12 years, Afton Apple has been a generous donor to the school district of over $92,000 over the last decade, plus a lot of it goes to our elementary and intermediate schools. They support a one book, one school, where they buy the books and everybody in the building reads the same book to promote literacy among our kindergarten through fifth graders. And often, they will pay for the author of the book to come speak at an assembly with all the kids, and that is a great option. They have spent a lot, put alot of money into Malone Elementary playground equipment, updating our playground equipment. They have also done a lot of work with…we do a program called Building Thinking Classrooms, where we really try to get students to be the ones doing all the work and doing all the thinking, and a big part of that is having vertical whiteboards so that, one, it’s in front of everybody.” explains Reif. “And two, we can easily, quickly erase our mistakes, and it helps kids really get out there and challenge themselves and push themselves forward. And they’ve been instrumental in using money to do that. But I think the biggest thing is they show up every day. They are the leaders of Malone Parent Committees’ Spring Carnival every year, which is outside of Afton Apple, a giant fundraiser. You see them at homecoming events, kickoff events, etc. Just really immersed every time I’m at an event; Sarah and Cindy are standing there working, doing something.”
So Superintendent Reeve, can you explain how this award came about? Was there a submission? Was it word of mouth?
“So this award was established by Mr. Grover about 40 years ago, and they do one; they do a volunteer for an individual, and then they do a business partner. And all 421 schools in Wisconsin have the ability to submit a name, and we decided as an admin team to submit Afton Apple as a business person. And then there’s a committee through WASDA, the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, and they all sit down and gather and look at all the submissions, and then they select the winner. And there’s one winner given out each year out of all 421 school districts that’s given at the spring conference this year, which was over at the Gustav and Elkhart Lake, and so Afton Apple was able to come and say a few words and accept the award. They’re great partners. We have a lot of great partners that help us out, but Afton Apple goes above and beyond.”
That is amazing. What a partner to have. Is there anything else that you would like to highlight for the public?
“I would really just like to say, you know, it was great to be able to sit next to them and watch them get this award. One of the best things about working as a superintendent in Wisconsin is you get to work with some great people. And you always hear about those people that are just there for the kids, and half an apple is always right there for the kids. It’s the scene, and they set up tables and haul garbage and do other things at events, as well as coming every fall, and they typically read a poem/story that talks about how that orchard is growing and how they’re helping kids grow. And it’s just an amazing experience,” Reif continues. “And one of the reasons that school district is blessed with—and one of the reasons, frankly, I came here—is it’s a community that really supports education, from Cernohous Chevrolet to Ptaceks to Afton Apple to, you know, Hastings Ford. There’s a lot of great, wonderful organizations that are just there for us. And Afton Apple is a good, good example of that. Good Wisconsin people—and Minnesota people because Afton Apple is in Minnesota.”
For more information, click HERE for Prescott Schools’ promotional video celebrating Afton Apple’s partnership.
[Click the soundbite to listen to the report.]