Alma Schrader PTA wins grant

The PTA at Alma Schrader Elementary in Cape Girardeau got a financial boost to plan programming to encourage parent involvement.

The school was one of 32 nationwide to receive a $1,897 grant from the AXA Foundation, which is part of the financial firm AXA Equitable.

The grant amount is derived from the year the PTA was founded, 1897, said Teresa Wilke, the event coordinator and member of the PTA.

This week the school will hold African-themed events to bring parents into the school for "Take Your Family to School Week."

Students will decorate blankets to donate to Swaziland in southern Africa. The blankets will be donated by Celebrate HOPE, a Christian-based group that is coordinating a local blanket drive.

"Basically every classroom is making their own blanket," said Wilke, the mother of first- and second-grade students. The PTA used the money to buy fleece, buttons and material, and to plan events, she said.

On Wednesday parents will be able to help with the blankets during the day. Parents are also invited to have coffee before 8:15 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

"A lot of times we pull around and let them off at the door," she said.

Parents will be able to come into the school and casually interact with teachers, a different kind of drop-off, she said.

Thursday, the blankets will be displayed during an evening event, which includes African dance and mask making.