My name is Cameron Morgan; my husband, Mark Simmonds, and I have been Lois Lenski Elementary parents for six years (as of this month!). Our son, Henry, is now a 7th grader at Newton Middle School. Jillian, our daughter, is a 1st grader in Mrs. Miller's class. I co-chair the Reloadable Grocery Card program at Lenski, and the Joint PTO Scholarship and School Directory program at Newton Middle School.

Lois Lenski Elementary has been a pleasant surprise for us. Starting out in central Denver and DPS, we knew that a friendly neighborhood and great schools were the improvements that would make our move -- with an infant and a 1st grader -- worthwhile. The house in Heritage Village is a perfect fit, and Lenski is, as well. The teachers and staff, as well as the family community, at our school have consistently met our kids' needs for everything from music to academics, social to serious. 

Specifically, our children have enjoyed exploring Band with Mr. Florian -- who knew we had a trombone player in our midst?! -- art with Ms. Thomas, Mandarin, Chess, Destination Imagination, and scouting. The opportunities at Lenski, in the classroom and before/after school, amaze me. Sometimes, it's hard to resist over-committing to all the eye-opening choices!

If our school didn't run so smoothly, and didn't have a supportive PTO, I suspect it would be difficult to bolt on so many of these terrific Enrichments. The strong foundation that Dr. DeSpain and her team have built over the decades drew me in to volunteering. After taking a break last year, I'm back on the Reloadable Grocery Cards team; these cash-back cards consistently generate about $25,000 per year for the school. I love this program because I love fresh food and I need "turn-key" fundraising. The deep support from all the Lenski parents, and friends of Lenski, keep the money rolling in from King Soopers, automatically.

The program is set to expand during this calendar year, to include Safeway reloadable cards. We hope to capture more families' loyalty grocery spending. Knowing that these funds contribute to smaller group sizes for 2nd-5th math and reading instruction puts some details behind the dollars. It's one way I can help parents across the economic range feel good about contributing to Lenski, just buying what they are shopping for anyhow ... food for their family!

One goal I have for my remaining years at Lenski (4, if you're counting) is to reach out beyond my neighborhood, to include more Lenski families in the school's Enrichment and academics. Weaving this in to my nearly-full-time work as a wealth manager makes this a 'stretch' goal, not an easy one, but one I'm happy to take on!