Drinking Fountain at Cooley Ranch Provides Relief for Students in Hot Weather

Students from Cooley Ranch Elementary School will find it easier to cool off thanks to the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization. The Cooley Ranch PTO purchased a portable drinking fountain for students at the school to combat the warm days at school. “We looked at the kids playing and sweating out on the playground and we thought this would be a way to bring relief to more of them without causing too many problems,” said Roy Ramirez, the PTO’s president. “So many of the students would want to get water, but there was only one fountain outside for them to use. Now they’ll have more options.” The fountain features six spouts for students to use. The water is supplied through a water safe hose with a filter that connects to a spigot attached to the school’s multi-purpose room. The PTO is working on a way to cool the water down before going to the fountain. On hot days in previous years, the PTO and staff would use large water jugs and cups to help the students stay hydrated. But the jugs would need constant refills, and the waste generated by the cups was causing concerns. “A drinking fountain like this is one of those things that you don’t think about the PTO being able to help with,” said Cooley Ranch Principal Judy Scates. “But when our board of parents presented this as an option, it was a perfect solution to something that was becoming a concern at the school.” The PTO purchased the “FlexiFountain” using money it raised through various fundraisers over the last school year. The group is planning several more fundraisers for the 2015-16 school year, including a catalog sale, a jog-a-thon, trips to local restaurants and their Fall Festival, which will include games and events for families to enjoy. “I am so blessed to have this hard-working PTO,” Scates said. “They are always coming up with ways to help the students and make sure that the entire Cooley Ranch community is served.” Ramirez agreed with the principal. “We just want to make sure that the kids have what they need to succeed in school and make their day go a little easier,” he said. “Hopefully this will cut down on problems before they start.”