Dr. Mark Porterie, right, helped greet visitors from Frisco.(Ken Stickney/The News)

 

By Ken Stickney

Ken.stickney@panews.com

 

The mission at George and Debra Purefoy Elementary School in Frisco is to “inspire, challenge, empower everyone every day.”

On Monday, Principal Kena Robertson and a small group from Purefoy left that burgeoning North Dallas suburb in two vehicles before sunrise and drove 283 miles to empower Port Arthur students.

Purefoy was culminating its “Kindness Project,” an annual effort undertaken around Valentine’s Day to help others. This year, the K-5 school chose to help DeQueen Elementary School in Port Arthur, whose students were adversely affected by Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey.

“What they have delivered to us will have an impact on our classrooms,” said DeQueen Principal Jerry Gloston, as volunteers unloaded books, equipment and supplies.

Gloston said some 60-70 percent of the DeQueen student population and staff was either displaced, lost vehicles or was hosting families and friends who were displaced. Perhaps 80 percent of teachers and staff were displaced or severely affected. Gloston herself sustained substantial damage to her home.

She said DeQueen’s enrollment of some 300 students in grades 3-5 has been “fluid” since the storms, with some students who “come and go” according to their family situation. It’s been a tough year for the entire school, but DeQueen continues to be “a haven” for students who need some consistency in their lives.

“We are trying our best to make it as normal as possible,” Gloston said, and teachers are “delivering instruction with vigor and rigor.” Nonetheless, she said, Harvey’s impact has taken some “emotional toll” on everyone at DeQueen.

Enter Purefoy, whose students and staff raised some $8,500 through a “Coins for DeQueen” collection. The connection between the schools was made first by Kimberly Nelson, Purefoy’s coordinator for teacher-parent efforts. Her church, First Baptist of Frisco, sent a mission crew to Port Arthur to help after the storm, and Nelson became aware of the needs here.

Purefoy and DeQueen have been in contact for about a month, establishing DeQueen’s specific needs since the storm. On Monday, the Purefoy group brought books, some for the students themselves, some for the library, as well as “flexible seats” for classrooms and other equipment.

“It’s Christmas in March,” said Port Arthur Superintendent Mark Porterie, who helped welcome the Purefoy group to DeQueen. “We are happy that you are here.”

Porterie explained to the Frisco visitors that Harvey had united the community “to one accord” in recovery efforts. He said DeQueen faculty and staff had worked hard to get affected students “back on track.”

Student leaders helped escort the visitors to various classrooms, where DeQueen students had prepared thank you cards for Purefoy in anticipation of the visit.