Former Webster Students, Parents & Teachers Show Support and Wolverine Pride at the Webster PTO Fall Festival

Former Webster PTO President Destiny Maddox with current Webster PTO President Lindsay Watters and former Webster student and current Community Leadership Council Representative Kierra Smith.

The Webster School alumni showed up in great numbers to this week's Webster PTO Fall Festival, and they were ready to volunteer and help wherever it was needed. From selling tickets to helping out with the games, and helping in the kitchen former Webster students could be found at every corner of the festival. 

While the Webster students had fun, the partnership between the Webster parents, teachers, administration, the Community Partnership School at the Webster School and the Webster alumni was at display wherever you looked, and so many volunteers showed up that at first there were not enough tasks to be shared. It did not take long, before all were at work, and the Webster PTO Fall Festival was a success despite being relocated due to the Northeaster pushing over the school.

Murray Middle School students and former Webster students Kaleigha Spikes, Victoria Partin, Kalyn Lewis, Amelia Eaton and Shelby Hill retuning to volunteer at their alma mater. 

"I am so grateful," says Webster's new PTO President Lindsay Watters, who is a reading interventionist at the Webster School. "We would not have been able to do this without the volunteers." 

Lindsay Watters, Webster PTO President

Watters also volunteers with the local tutoring organization RESET St. Augustine, and you will often find her out volunteering and participating in local West Augustine events. "I just really wanted to give back to this community, because they deserve it," Watters said, when asked why she decided to step up and become the president of the parent teacher organization at Webster despite already having a full plate. "It keeps me very busy, but nights like tonight make it all worth it."

Webster Principal Bethany Groves could be found greeting parents and students, dancing a bit and she did not stand still. 

Webster Principal Bethany Groves and volunteer Kaleigha Spikes, a former Webster student, who is currently a Murray Middle School 6th grader. 

When the PTO first began discussing the annual fall festival and whether to cancel or go on due to the high COVID-19 numbers at the time, Groves was eager to push on, and so the PTO did. With only a few weeks of planning, it all came together. 

Madison Grace, Flagler College Practicum Student at Webster

Madison Grace is studying elementary education at Flagler College with a minor in environmental science, because she wants to be a science teacher, and she is a Practicum Student at The Webster School. "I feel like it is important to volunteer, because as a practicum student, I get more well versed with the students. Being here as a practicum student once a week, you don't really get to know the students, but coming to volunteer at events like this one and at the We Can Nights, I feel like I get to know the students a lot more. I love volunteering at community nights like this, because it brings everyone together."

Joshua Prado a freshman from St. Augustine High School, Ahmerrius Spikes a 7th grader at Murray Middle School is a Webster alumni and Skyler Kai Rodney a sophomore from St. Augustine High School is also a former Webster School student, and he is the president of the West Augustine Nature Society.

Joshua Prado did not attend Webster, but he came to volunteer at the fall festival, because he heard about it from a friend. He is in the AICE Program, in the Aerospace Academy and ROTC at St. Augustine High School. "I came to volunteer to become a better citizen and to show that even after a hard school day with long tests, you can still come and help out at a festival like this. It allows you to help the younger generation be motivated and to complete school." 

Many Webster teachers were volunteering at the event as well, and it was clear that the Webster students are surrounded by people who care, as an event like this adds extra time that the teachers spend away from their families.

Heather Jeff and Hannah Beregsasy from the Humane Society with Mazie and Claire Canterbury. Claire's mom Laura Canterbury is a teacher at Webster, and she was busy volunteering at a games table.

"We think starting the kids out young learning about volunteering is important, but we also want to train the kids," says Lynn Washington, the Volunteer Coordinator at the St. Augustine Humane Society, who was volunteering at the fall festival with staff members Heather Jeff, Hannah Beregsasy and the dogs Mazie and Mario. "We always train the animals, but we also want to help train the kids on how to approach an animal. When something bad happens it is not always on the animals, so what we try to do is train both sides of that equation. If kids run up to the animals, the animals get startled and they do what you would do, they tell you stop, and they do that by biting."

The Webster PTO Fall Festival was a perfect example of how parents can help out at the school, even if they are unable to volunteer during the school day. There were several parents with younger kids, who helped out wherever needed. The PTO currently meets in-person and online. Prior to COVID, when the school did have in-person PTO meetings only, there would be a game and drawing table set up in the back, where the kids could play during the PTO and SAC meetings, and the Webster School and PTO did their best at providing a welcoming atmosphere. 

"The PTO values parent input and would love to hear your ideas and suggestions," says Lindsay Watters, PTO President at The Webster School. "Another great way to support the PTO is to volunteer for PTO events throughout the year. From assisting with the planning to donating supplies or volunteering your time, the PTO greatly appreciates all of your help to put on family fun events."

To request a PTP membership form you may ask your child's teacher, email the PTO at thewebsterschoolpto@gmail.com, or send a DM on Instagram at @webster_pto. PTO meetings are on the third Thursday of each month, directly following the SAC meeting. You may attend in person or via a Microsoft TEAMS link that is sent out via dojo and email.

For more volunteer opportunities make sure to check out the Volunteers in West Augustine tab in the sidebar.