The Center for Creative Education (CCE) hosted its first Back to School Bash, and it was a triumph. The event took place on July 13, 2024, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. CCE aimed to give back to the community and help families transition smoothly into the new school year. The Back to School Bash provided families with free health physicals, eye exams and glasses, haircuts, manicures, and much more. With the generous support of over 30 community partners, we were able to assist over 700 people!

CCE staff were excited to meet the community and explain what CCE and The Foundations School have to offer. By 9:30 A.M., a line of people had formed, patiently waiting for the doors to open. CCE was filled with new and familiar faces; conversations and laughter filled the air. Families toured The Foundations School and learned about our mission, which is to transform teaching and learning through creativity and the arts. Parents were amazed at what The Foundations School offers and the dedication of our teachers and staff towards our students.

The Flame 104.7 brought their neon orange car and played pop music while handing out pizzas to the kids. The CCE parking lot featured multiple local food trucks serving ribs, mac and cheese, and snow cones. The Foundations School classrooms transformed into a hair salon/barbershop for the day. Hollywood Institute, Truly Blessed, and Mr. Clips made it possible for children in the community to go back to school with a fresh haircut!

Halfway through the event, our community enjoyed a variety of entertainment. Soul Movement performed a captivating and energetic dance. We were honored to have Ja’Telsa Brown from the City of Rivera Beach as a guest speaker. Following, Sa-Ra took the stage, engaging listeners with thought-provoking poetry. To wrap up the event, the Sounds of Success Marching Band brought their beats and high spirits into the hallways of CCE. The community danced and cheered as the band’s music brought joy and rhythm to everyone’s feet.

The Flame provided amazing gift cards as part of our closing raffle. To conclude, CEO & President Robert Hamon summed up the event with: “At CCE, we believe that every student in this community should have access to the best education.”

“It’s amazing how much they grow in a year.”

Etonella Christlieb is a generous supporter of Center for Creative Education. At the start of the school year, she visited with the Flagler Rotary Club to serve as a guest reader in celebration of International Literacy Day.

But Ms. Christlieb—or Ms. Etonella, as the second grade class calls her—did not want that first interaction to be her last one. She became a regular VIP reader, coming once a month to visit the second grade class. Each time, she brought an approved book to read and add to their class library, as well as a book for them to bring home.

“When I came with the Rotary Club, we were telling the kids to make sure they read 15 minutes each night. And the kids said ‘We can’t read! We don’t have books!’” Ms. Etonella explained. “Well, now they have at least five books.”

Ms. Etonella also often brought trinkets that were tied to the story or the season, such as cotton snowballs at Christmastime and bat rings when she visited just before Halloween. Her gifts make the students feel special.

But Ms. Etonella’s real gift as a volunteer isn’t just what she gives the students, but how she makes them feel. She is a skilled reader, bringing the books to life and keeping the students engaged with the story. She hugs the students each time she comes and tells them she loves them. They have looked forward to her visits all year, their faces pressed against the glass when they know she’s coming.

Center for Creative Education and The Foundations School thanks Ms. Christlieb for her consistent generosity to our students. The gifts that she has given them—both tangible and emotional—will ensure that her impact reverberates. We look forward to welcoming her back to the VIP Reader program next year, when these students will be in the third grade!