Fair Grove Schools is part of a non-profit organization called Care to Learn. Care to Learn focuses on a few of the many ways student learning can be impacted. Fair Grove’s Care to Learn Chapter Liaison is Mr. Ryan Buffington, Assistant Elementary Principal.
Buffingtion stated, “I became the Care to Learn-Fair Grove Chapter Liaison this year. The previous year our Liaison was Mr. Stallings. I took over when he left for Fordland. This gives me an opportunity to do more for our amazing community. I do this because Fair Grove has given so much to me that I would like to give back to Fair Grove.”
Along with Care to Learn and being the Assistant Elementary Principal, Buffington is the offensive and defensive coach for the varsity football team at Fair Grove.
Buffington also stated, “Care to Learn focuses on three major things that could affect a student’s learning; Health, Hunger, Hygiene. Families can use us as a way to help with any of those three categories.”
A large part of the Program Fair Grove Schools are in is the Weekend Backpack Program. The Weekend Backpack Program consists of Buffington ordering food about once a month from SGC which is the same company school food comes from, then these non perishable food items are placed into backpacks once a week on Fridays for students to take home during the weekend ensuring they have food.
The Fair Grove Community is also welcome to donate in many ways. Buffington continued, “This can be through the Care to Learn Website, Care to Learn Facebook Page, or bring a check to the school. If someone wants to donate online make sure it’s to the Fair Grove Chapter.
Also donating food during school food drives. Or people can participate in Care to Learn Activities such as the Turkey Trot held each year.”
The Backpack Program is in place to help those students in need throughout the community. Alongside the Backpack Program, the school also helps students needing anything health and hygiene related. The school supplies things such as resources for health and hygiene products, such as deodorant, tooth brushes and more.
Care to Learns mission statement is, “Our mission is to provide immediate funding to meet emergent needs in the areas of health, hunger, and hygiene so every student can be successful in school.”
Fair Grove being one of the chapters in the Care to Learn program helps students focus on their learning and get the best education possible in their school setting while also getting extra support in their home lives.
