We had an amazing time at the Downtown Cary Farmers' Market Fall Festival on Saturday (24th). What a beautiful day from morning to afternoon; it was a distinctly early fall morning in North Carolina if I ever felt one! I could give a detailed play-by-play of the 8 am set-up scramble or the truckloads of bottled water we ferried from the parking lot to our tent, but I think what will stick with me the most is having the opportunity to give parents and kids from all over Cary a taste of the enthusiasm emblematic of our school community. 
    So much about this event was delightfully unexpected for us. The Bookstop station was a huge hit: the Bookstop program Chair, Karen Thomson, hooked us up with boxes of books to give away for free, and a shelf to make a tantalizing reading corner area. When we told kids they could take the book they had been reading for 20 minutes, multiple jaws hit the sidewalk, and they looked at us like we were giving them free pizza for a year. Later in the afternoon, we had the pleasure of catching up with Margot Bennett, the founder of the Bookstop program, and her very friendly service dog. Margot has published 2 books since last year: Brisco, Life as a Therapy Dog and Ely, Life as a Service Dog Puppy, both available on Amazon.
    Another incredible first came when we got to hang out with Paws, the Cary Elementary Cougar. She was in and out all day, but clearly had a blast meeting every single child at the festival, as well as many older kids, adults, and dogs. Paws is certainly a beloved member of the downtown Cary community. She even got to meet Mrs. Clause, who was at the festival reading to kids and making balloon animals from scratch. The only thing we were sad to see Paws miss was the festival Pie-Eating contest. We're positive Paws would have licked Chatham Street clean with 'em. 
   No matter how you frame it, you can't outdo the thoughtfulness and energy that the Farmers' Market team put into this event. If we weren't ready for fall before, we are 100% in apple-picking mode now.
     There are a lot more people to thank:

• Alecia Stephenson, Cary Elementary Parent and owner of Sweet Fare, donated several boxes of assorted fresh cookies. These delicious treats turned a lot of heads. We recommend going to check out Sweet Fare (between Ollie's and Notasium) as soon as you get a chance. www.sweetfareshop.com
• Multiple downtown Cary businesses donated raffle prizes worth over $750! These included: Triangle E-Sports, Scratch, Taco Addicts, Riccobene Dentistry, Chocolate Smiles, and many many more. We are humbled by this unexpected level of support.
• Cary Elementary teacher Sarah Ralph brought plants for sale that were potted by her 2nd grade class. They were a huge hit!
• Thanks to all families and friends of the Cary PTA who donated supplies, raffle prizes, and WATER. Through your generosity, we gathered 650 bottles of water for sale to the more than 5,000 attendees!
• And sincere thanks to all of the CES Parents, Committee Chairs, and Board Members for helping make this event an even more inarguable success.

We can't wait till next year.

     Since my daughter transferred to Cary Elementary as a first grader, I wanted to find a way to participate in activities supporting the school that could fit my work schedule. And when the school reopened for in-person schooling, I saw that opportunity arise…the Bookstop program. And I was so glad I did, as I got so much back from the time I invested in the program.
     The Bookstop program offers parents the opportunity to manage a “store” where students can exchange tickets, given by their teachers, for books of various topics and reading levels. Most of these books were donated by families and friends. Before the pandemic, whole classrooms would go to the Bookstop room to peruse the shelves like a magical bookstore. Once schools reopened with social distancing guidelines, the program was modified with parents wheeling out a selection of reading-level appropriate books to different classrooms based on a rotating schedule. The students were welcome to return the books when they were done, but it wasn’t required.
     The parents would stand outside the halls during the morning routine, while kids sauntered in with their breakfasts in hand and their curious eyes to the wealth of reading options available.
     It was a joy to see them flip through the bins of books either looking for a familiar series, a book on a topic of interest, or taking a chance on a random find. I’d see classroom friends cycle through the bins together, with one of them finding the rare literary jewel and proclaiming victory to the other. There were also situations when we’d help find a category of books for students and then see their faces light up when it’s exactly what they are looking for. It was really rewarding and something that many of the students were looking forward to.
     And in a year filled with safety restrictions, managing the Bookstop cart was a great way to meet the wonderful teachers and staff at Cary Elementary. I was also able to sign up for my daughter’s class which was an extra boon as she loved when I ran the carts in front of her class.
     Entering the school each day to volunteer reminded me of when my mom substituted classes when I was in grade school. I knew she found great joy in doing something at my school beyond dropping off and picking up. It gave her a deeper connection to the institution that taught and nurtured her three children. So, I wanted to feel that same sense of joy and pride. And volunteering for Bookstop was the perfect fit and opportunity for it.​