I recently became aware of a book about school fundraising written by a former PA president of PS 87, a popular school on the Upper West Side. Since this is just the kind of resource I work to discover, I was actually a bit surprised that I hadn’t heard of it before—until I realized it was originally published in 2003! The book, Beyond the Bake Sale: The Ultimate School Fund-Raising Book, was written by Jean Joachim, who still lives on the Upper West Side and is now a prolific writer of romance novels, presumably none of which were inspired by her days at PS 87.
I met Jean for breakfast last month at her favorite local diner. She was chatty and warm and passionate, and she convinced me that her book is as relevant as ever even though the world has gone digital. More personally, I loved chatting with her as a parent who now has the perspective of seeing her babies into adulthood, and as a mom who was once such a school fixture that I’m sure a lot of her people thought she probably lived there.
I noted the relish she took in sharing her memories, and I thought: That’s how I hope I feel when I look back at these years. Did I love with care? Did I enjoy my children? I’ll never have the depth of generosity of a PA president, but did I do my share for other families?
Last month, while dropping off a form at the PA office at my son’s school, I was asked if I’d help out with the yearbook. My son Adam, a current fifth grader, will be graduating this year, and the thought of him and his friends possibly not having a yearbook they liked got to me. I thought I had no time and energy, but I found some—and now my drive-bys in the PA’s office feel familiar, like I’m on the inside.
Without trying to, Jean Joachim made another recruit.
Have a Happy April,
Eric Messinger, Editor
