Mmmmm! Students continue to rave over the new lunch food options.  Besides the cafeteria staff, who prepare delicious healthy foods each day,  and President Mr. Arthur Raimo, who spearheaded the concept, Academy students owe their gratitude to the Parent Annual Fund Program (PAFP).

PAFP not only helped make the catering transition possible with the kitchen renovation, this fund of parent donations also provided every classroom with a SmartBoard and preschool classrooms with SmartTables, extended iPad use to the third and fourth graders, remodeled the playgrounds with turf, enhanced athletic facilities, and much more.

Mrs. JoAnne Linker, Director of Annual Fund and Special Events, praised the parents who donate each year to the fund.  “The annual fund is used to enhance programs and projects around campus to get money for some of the things the budget can’t cover.”

How does the PAFP provide the school with such updates and enhancements?  Mrs. Linkner’s parent committee raises the money through the annual fund.  Each year, the PAFP creates a creative video to raise awareness for the fund.  Mrs. Linker said that the video and the song calls attention to the PAFP and its purpose.  “We find that doing something fun really grabs the viewer.  So what is the best way to do that?  Incorporate current songs that are fun that people can relate to.  We change the words around to relate it to the Parent Annual Fund.”

This year, senior Angelina Oliva and freshmen Gabby Accardi and Mary DesRosiers sang the modified version of Aretha Franklin’s Respect.  The video serves as a reminder to parents to donate before the Phonathon.

The PAFP always incorporates every aspect of the school, ranging from the preschool to the seniors and from academics to athletics.  Senior Alex Diaz, involved with the swimming portion of the video, loved participating in the video because the school has a special place in her heart. “Having gone to AHN since kindergarten, I love AHN and promoting the school.  I am so excited that I was privileged enough to be a part of the video my final year and I hope that the PAFP receives a lot of support for the fund.”

The PAFP Phonathon is not to be confused with the Alumni Phonathon.  The Alumni Phonathon asks alumni to contribute to AHN to contribute to mainly scholarships and the endowment with the remainder trickling into the annual fund.  The PAFP, however, raises money solely for the annual fund through parents.