Blackhawk – Where We Celebrate the Joys of Childhood

There is a saying that when you are raising children the days are long, but the years are short. Childhood does not last forever, and each year is precious. When adults look back on their days in elementary school, some of the most vivid and wonderful memories are those of holiday parties, field trips, and those special events that only occur a few times a year.

There were so many unknowns going into the 2020- 2021 school year. One of those unknowns was what activities will be allowed to happen. Principal Jodi Borroni was committed to making this year as normal as possible for the students. She said, “One of my favorite aspects of Blackhawk is that we celebrate the joys of childhood. This year could be no different. We know that events like classroom parties and field trips are some of the best days of the school year for our students. Thankfully, both of our elementary schools have very committed PTOs who were more than ready to assist to make events possible.”

Halloween is one day that calls for celebration in the elementary schools. This year the schools had to rethink classroom parties. Because parent volunteers were not permitted in the building, the homeroom moms planned parties, complete with games and crafts, and sent them in for the teachers. In addition, families donated candy that was used for schoolwide trick-or-treat. Students gathered treats at various spots in the building while parading in their costumes.

One of the biggest events for the BIS PTO is the Boo Bash held every October. Social distance guidelines prevented the group from holding the event at the building. Chippewa Township was kind enough to lend the school Chippewa Park for the evening for the Boo Bash to become a drive through event. Children drove through the park that was decorated with Halloween decorations complete with “Trunk-or Treaters.” At the end of the ride, students received a bag of candy. An extra special treat was the involvement of the local fire departments parking their trucks at the
park for the evening PTO Chair of the event, Leah Pisano said, “As we adapted most of the way we lived, worked, and functioned as a society because of the pandemic, it was just a natural progression for PTO to also rise to the challenge of making things happen. Treasurer Lara Houk and I knew that with some creativity, we could pull off a drive through Halloween event. From first responders and business owners to students of all ages and their families, as well as teachers and administrators in our district – it was a group effort, and we were truly ‘all in this together.’”

The event was such a success that PTO member Melissa Cochran saw an opportunity for the holidays. In December, she chaired the Winter Light Up Celebration. At this event, PTO partnered with the Beaver County Children and Youth Services and the U.S. Sarrs Corps. These two organizations sponsor the annual Beaver County Festival of Trees, and all proceeds from the Blackhawk event went to them. During this night, families were treated to cookies and milk before they drove through a beautifully decorated Chippewa Park. What Christmas event would be complete without Santa and Mrs. Claus? Of course, they were there as well.

Thankfully, with the arrival of milder spring weather, PTO events were moved outside which allowed for volunteers. Both PTOs sponsored spring egg hunts for the students. Patterson PTO president Rachel Davis said, “Because of the uncertainty and the changes that the school had to make to keep classes running this year, it was important for the PTO to be available to bridge any gaps that arose.”

Fortunately, PTO has been able to step in towards the end of the year to allow the students to enjoy some annual activities that have been changed to accommodate social distancing requirements.”

And what an end of a year it was! Do not be alarmed if you saw a camel or zebra on school property in June. Because students will not be able to travel to field trips, BIS and Patterson PTOS brought in a petting zoo for the students as well as snow cone trucks.

Principal Borroni concluded, “We can’t thank our PTOs enough for their tireless efforts to support our students. They made sure our youngest Cougars had a chance to make some lasting memories this year. We appreciate all that they have done.”