This year, Page has been home to seventy homeless children, a number of refugees, and countless students whose families are suffering through the down economy. All it took was our school social worker conveying those statistics to one compassionate PTA volunteer who believed she could start a movement to make a difference. Through Page parent, Karen Roer, Page Cares was born, and to date more than $8,500 has been donated to the fund.

Page PTSA volunteers worked swiftly to establish a game plan. They designed pledge cards and secured printing at cost. The PTSA president hosted a launch party at her home with the PTSA asking those in attendance to donate gift cards or to consider making a pledge. Administrators in attendance shared tender, confidential stories that fueled the movement. The holiday timing of the launch served us well. Many families chose to make pledges in honor of their own children or their children’s teachers.

We advertised Page Cares through our school web site, our PTSA yahoo group, and electronic newsletter. The front office volunteers stayed busy daily collecting pledges, notifying individuals who had been honored, and writing thank-you notes.

When the Page Alumni and Friends Association learned of Page Cares, they responded by advertising the fund to their members and donated all membership funds received during the month of December. They also added to their membership card the option to make membership donations to Page Cares.

The Page Cares fund was a response to the growing needs of our school’s families who are experiencing economic hardships.  It is based on the use of gift cards from various food/clothing stores.  It offers the opportunity for parents to model for their children ways of serving those in their community that are struggling.  It is also an opportunity for service learning within our own school family. Students responded by sponsoring a clothing drive that included shoes and coats. A canned food drive soon followed.

Students are very private and often embarrassed that they need financial assistance.   They do not want others to know about their problem, and they do not want anyone seeing them accepting help.  When their circumstances become critical, students will finally tell someone they trust.  We learn about these students from the caring staff of teachers, support staff, parent volunteers, and administrators.  The social worker confidentially speaks with the student and family about their circumstances and provides assistance in using gift cards to their greatest advantage, as well as connecting them to community resources for a long-term resolution to their problem.

The donations have helped many of our students and families.  We have provided food for forty-seven of our refugee students and forty homeless families to date.  These students do not have access to regular school meals during school holidays and families often find themselves short of the funds necessary to provide the breakfast and lunch meals.  

We have purchased winter coats, hats, and gloves.  We noticed students coming to school in below freezing weather with lightweight jackets.  One student who explained that he gave his coat to his little brother now has his own coat!  We helped a student get a pair of black shoes required to start a new job that would help support his family. 

We bridged the gap for several families who lost their jobs by helping them with purchasing food until they qualified for food stamps.  We have fed seventy-seven students in our cafeteria that were hungry and did not qualify for free or reduced lunch. 

We have assisted with food and clothing to three students over eighteen years old who have found themselves homeless due to family problems.  We have provided toiletries for a student living in a shelter.

We have provided meals for student athletes who were traveling to away games with the team and going without food while others enjoyed meals.  The list and stories continue.

Without Page Cares, teachers would have no place to turn when they find their students in desperate situations.  The Page PTSA found it impossible to turn our backs on students who need us beyond the school day.

By Haley Waxman

Editor in Chief

2011-2012

            This year our very own principal, Mrs.Foley, was named Principal of the Year by the Guilford County Parent Teacher Student Association. While it may come as a surprise to some, those students who really know her, this honor is no surprise. Many students can attest to the fact that in her four years at Page, the school has gone through many changes for the better. During Principal Foley’s administration the number of fights has decreased, school spirit is up, and students are trusted with greater responsibilities and enjoy greater privileges.

            Senior Clayton Betts does not know the halls of Page without Mrs.Foley. “In my four years here, I have seen many positive changes for Page High School. It is not an easy job to control a population of nearly 2,000, but she does a very impressive job” comments Betts. Junior A’lycia Hill also sings high praises for her principal of three years. “Out of my three years at Page High school I can truly say Mrs.Foley is an excellent principal. Although some of her actions may seem mean to some students, she has their best interests at heart. Every decision she makes is to ensure that the students have a great experience and Page and are proud to be called a pirate. It is no surprise to me that Mrs.Foley has been awarded the “Principal of the Year.” Senior and Student Council President Rachel Goley has enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with Mrs.Foley throughout her four years here. “I have had the pleasure of seeing the impact Mrs.Foley has had on Page over the past four years. From the moment she entered Page, she gained the respect of the entire staff as well as the students. Her stern demeanor has allowed her to not only improve the conduct of our students but to increase the standards of our school. Mrs.Foley is a joy to know and more than deserving of this award. There is no one else I would rather have as our principal” commented Goley.

 From my personal experience with Mrs.Foley, it is obvious that she is truly invested in her job. This past January, a group of our own students made the bad decision to vandalize their own school. Upon my arrival at school early that morning for a tutoring session, I was greeted by Mrs.Foley. Foley, who was still in her sweats and hoodie seeing as she had been at school since the early hours of the morning was very upset over the incident. Before that morning, I had never had a personal experience with my principal, but I’m glad for that run in because without it, I would have never been able to understand the heart, time and effort that she puts in to her job.

            Everyone is very proud of our principal for being awarded this high honor. Though many of us have not been lucky enough to experience her accomplishments first hand, the work that she has done is evident throughout the entire school.

Below is the letter written by the PAGE PTA in nomination of Principal Foley:

Good things come in small packages!  She may be short, but her genuine concern for our school and its 1859 students makes her stand 10 feet tall. We boasts a racially and socio-economic diverse population including a significant number of refugee and ESOL students. Ms. Foley has commented that in one day’s time we may be helping one student apply to Harvard as well as helping another student find housing. Marilyn Foley’s compassion, tireless dedication and quiet moral authority combine to make her a formidable nominee.

She spent countless hours over the summer meeting with the incoming PTA president  discussing goals and a game plan, even divulging her cell phone number. She enthusiastically responded to a proposed Booster Council made up of the president of each of the school’s booster clubs, meeting regularly and working together to host freshman and returning student orientations and as well as community service projects. She made it easy to find volunteers for those projects by authorizing off-campus lunch or tardy passes to every student that donated their time.

Ms. Foley handled a delicate and difficult transition of PTA presidents with dignity and fairness. Her calendar filled with monthly PTA Executive and PTA Boards and attended every one of them religiously, often putting in fifteen hour days. She was one of the first to join PTA and sent messages encouraging staff to join as well.

In response to parents concern that they didn’t “know” their child’s principal, we launched Brown Bag Lunch with the Principal the last Thursday of each month over the lunch hour. Her display of dedication to the concerns of parents and the wellbeing of our students is unmatched. She meets tough subjects head on and prides herself in transparency. It’s like watching a well run independent business rather than the red tape that seems to be the norm. Every concern that was raised met with action.

She will tell you that the PTA initiative that she is proudest of her involvement in is “Don’t Bully!” Her willingness to partner with the PTA, brainstorm and support our efforts and serve as an advocate was imperative to the programs success.

She promoted to and encouraged staff to participate in the PTA Teacher Mini Grant program though weekly email communication and monthly faculty meetings. She also highlighted results of innovative projects funded through the PTA program. When the PTA offered to sponsor the registration of five teachers to attend the Education Summit with a chance to hear Ron Clark speak she stepped up and covered the cost of substitute teachers.

She is a true advocate to all her students, she is open to new ideas, her presence and support of the PTA is constant and her communication is superlative. Good things do come in small packages!

Page High School presents 42^nd Street

By Haley Waxman

Features Editor of Pages by Page

    Every spring the Page Playmakers put on a much-anticipated musical, and this year was no different. This year’s spring spectacular – presented on March 30^th, 31^st and April 1^st – was  42^nd Street, a Broadway musical set during the Great Depression. The story centers on a young Broadway dreamer’s rise to stardom and the bumps that she and the hilarious cast encounter along the way. 

Heading up the cast this year were Bonnie Flannery, Dan Galyon, John Reardon, Emily Bowden, Kaitlyn Godfrey, and Pete Hanner. Fifty students had acting parts, filling lead and supporting roles, while twenty other students filled out the crew and orchestra.

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While all musicals are quite challenging, the Playmakers pushed passed many obstacles to put on the production. For starters, the entire show was moved up a month due to the late spring break, making auditions occur the last week of November. Factor in Winter Break and the crazy winter weather in January, just finding time to practice was quite a challenge for the Playmakers. Not to mention that this year’s musical featured a great amount of tap dancing.

Leaning to tap dance was quite a feat for much of the cast, but the wonderful choreographer John Phillips, a teacher at Brooks Global, was there every step of the way to teach and encourage the dancers. Only three of the 50 actors tap dancing in the musical had ever had any tap dance experience! Students worked hard during the rehearsal process, rehearsing four-five days a week January and February, and five-six days a week during March. They participated in dance rehearsals twice a week, including four hours on Saturday mornings. Seeing the Page High School stage filled with tap dancing students was quite a thrill!

The sets were designed, built, and painted by students. Students and a parent volunteer handled the costumes, while the actors were responsible for providing some of their costuming.

This year presented a unique challenge for the theater club. This was the first year for most of the students without their beloved director Michael Parrish. Mr. Parrish retired last year after many years of service to his art. When asked about the production and the new director Mrs. White he said, “I was extremely impressed and had a ball attending opening night of 42^nd Street. Mrs. White is an excellent teacher and has done a great job continuing the success of the students who are the Page Playmakers. I know I left the Playmakers in wonderful hands. I could not be more proud of her.” 

All in all, the cast would agree that the new director, scheduling difficulties, blisters, and long hours were well worth it to make the show amazing. When asked to reflect on her first year as the drama director, Mrs. White said, “It was great to be at a school where the theater department is supported and so appreciated, and it has been a great first year. It's been a lot to get accustomed to for both the students and me. One major thing I learned was to be able to take a step back and let the students take control and run things. My favorite memories of this year were all of the laughs we had as Playmakers. So many unplanned funny things happened that helped to keep things in perspective. I am so proud of all of the students of 42nd Street. They worked so hard to put on the show and it showed in their performance!”

The Page Cares Fund is a tremendous asset to our students.  This program was launched as a response to the growing needs of the Page families who are experiencing economic hardships.  It is based on the use of gift cards from various food/clothing stores.  It offers the opportunity for parents to serve as models for their children in ways of serving those in their community that are struggling.  It is an opportunity for service learning in our own hometown and our own Page High School.

Students are very private and often embarrassed that they need financial assistance.   They do not want others to know about their problem and they do not want anyone seeing them accepting help.  When their circumstances become critical, students will finally tell someone they trust.  We learn about these students from the caring staff of teachers, support staff and administrators.  The social worker talks with the student and family about their circumstances and provides assistance in using gift cards to their greatest advantage, as well as connecting them to community resources for a long term resolution to their problem.

The donations have helped many of our students and families.  We provided food for forty-seven of PAGE's refugee students and forty homeless families during the holidays.  These students do not have access to regular school meals during holidays and families often find themselves short of the funds necessary to provide the breakfast and lunch meals that they normally receive at PAGE.   We have purchased winter coats, hats and gloves.  We noticed students coming to school in below freezing weather with light weight jackets.  One student explained that he gave his coat to his little brother.  This student now has his own coat!  We bridged the gap for several families who lost their jobs by helping them with purchasing food until they qualified for food stamps.  We have fed seventy-seven students in our cafeteria who were hungry and did not qualify for free or reduced lunch.  We have assisted with food and clothing to three students over eighteen years old who have found themselves homeless due to family problems.  We have provided meals for students in extra-curricular activities who were going without food while others enjoyed meals.  The list and stories continue.

Without the Page Cares Fund, teachers would have no place to turn when they find their students in often desperate situations.  It is impossible to turn our backs on students who need us beyond the school day. Please support PAGE CARES through the PAGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION. You can make an online payment using this link and designate your support to be used for PAGE CARES at checkout or simply mail in your support with a note to designate "Page Cares" to:

Page Alumni & Friends Association
P.O. Box 39616
Greensboro, NC 27438

To learn more about Page Cares and other wonderful  things happening with the Page Alumni and Friends Association please come to the next meeting on March 3rd at 5:30 pm at Sherwood (across from the Page Auditorium).  Snacks and adult beverages will be served along with laughter and updates about OUR school.

-Karen Roer