NEW CASTLE Chamber event brings school officials, students and parents together
This marked the first time the organization had invited students to one of its events.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association said parents, teachers and school administrators must work together to help students succeed.
"We all will be affected by their results," said Patsy Tallarico, elected PSEA president in May 1999, who served as keynote speaker Wednesday during the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce 98th annual Dinner at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
The event attracted about 500 area residents including local business people and school officials. Also, 16 high school seniors from seven school districts were invited -- chosen because of their academic and extracurricular achievements.
One student, Cynthia McMillan of Laurel School District, took home a $1,000 scholarship.
Bob McCracken, chamber executive vice president, said this year's theme, "Tomorrow's Leaders Today," was chosen to recognize 2001 as "The Year of Education." He said it was the first time the organization had invited students to one of its events.
Enhance communication: "We wanted to bring our area business people together with some of our students and to get them to interact with each other," he said.
We thought this would be a good opportunity. We've been working to get the business community to work with the schools to prepare students for the future, for the business world."
Tallarico, a math teacher in the New Kensington Arnold School District, told the crowd that education must remain at the core and that parents, school officials, public officials and the media must work together to build better communication and to keep one another informed.
"The time has come to make a long-term commitment," he said. "To work together. It's time to get back to the basics ... to allow school employees, teachers, to do their jobs and to do what we can to help them and to help our students succeed."