By Hunter Fenollol
At Forest Lake Elementary School, the cafeteria is more than a place for students to eat lunch. It is the hub where they gather with friends, where school assemblies are held, where families visit for special events and where the school hosts its annual learning fair.
Now, thanks to a $35,000 investment from the Forest Lake PTA, the space is about to undergo a transformation designed to make it feel more like the heart of the school.
The work is scheduled to begin Aug. 28 and be completed two days later, meaning that students should return next month to a completely redesigned cafeteria. Forest Lake Principal Thomas Burke said the PTA approached him about the project after finding a company that they thought could bring more of the school’s identity into the facility.
“They wanted to do something for the school, so they brought it to my attention, and I thought it would be great,” Burke said. The PTA selected Imaginate Your Space, a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in transforming school interiors. Its work will incorporate Forest Lake’s mascot, Forester, along with imagery connected to Wantagh and Twin Lakes, into a new design. The cafeteria will now have a forest-inspired theme, intended to reflect the school and the community that surrounds it.
Burke said the cafeteria was selected because of its central role in the school.
The existing cafeteria also displays photos of graduating classes, which will be preserved elsewhere in the building.
The new design will instead bring the school’s mascot and identity to life, Burke said. “It’s fun. It’s elementary,” he said. “It’s got our mascot, Forester, around there now. It’s got the colors; it’s got representation of Wantagh.”
The project is also intended to reinforce the school’s emphasis on kindness, respect and community. Messages and keywords will be incorporated into the design to remind students of the behavior and values the school wants them to carry throughout their day.
The changes, Burke said, could also help strengthen students’ connection to their school. “I think definitely school pride,” he said. “It’s going to be something that the kids are going to love. It’s going to be something that they’re going to remember.”
The project was made possible in large part by the PTA’s fundraising efforts, including a new after-school enrichment program that was launched last school year.
It gave students a chance to take part in teacher-led clubs ranging from sewing and drawing to fishing, STEM activities, cooking, Play-Doh and sports. Parents paid a fee for their children to participate, while teachers were compensated for leading the activities. Parent volunteers helped coordinate the program and supervise students.
Christine DeVito, co-president of the PTA, said the program was beneficial for students and families while also helping the organization generate revenue. “It was kind of just an easier solution” for families needing after-school activities or coverage, DeVito said.
The PTA used the proceeds from the enrichment program, along with other fundraisers, to support student activities throughout the year while still having money available for the cafeteria project. It was even able to make school parties, dances, fairs and other activities free for students, DeVito said.
The cafeteria project came together after the PTA asked parents and teachers how they wanted the organization’s surplus funds to be used. A parent suggested Imaginate Your Space after seeing how the company had transformed another school.
DeVito, Burke and former PTA Co-president Matt Zinser worked with the company on the design, while district facilities officials helped coordinate the logistics of having the work completed during the summer.
For DeVito, the project represents the PTA’s broader mission of improving the school experience for every child. “At such a young age, you want to kind of just foster that love of being at school and having that comfortable environment,” she said.
The PTA has also recruited Imaginate Your Space to make enhancements to the gym, including positive messages and additional representations of the school mascot.
Burke, who is about to begin his fourth year as Forest Lake’s principal, said he is looking forward to seeing students’ reactions when they return. DeVito said the project is ultimately a reflection of what can happen when families support their school, whether through volunteering, taking part in fundraisers or simply becoming PTA members.
“Even something as small as buying a PTA membership every year ... goes such a long way in coming to this endpoint,” she said.
For Burke, the transformation is about more than a new look. “Forest Lake is a family,” he said. “And I think the PTA helps make that feeling happen at Forest Lake.”
