AXA volunteers pitch in

NISD Communications Department

August 15, 2006

[b]AXA volunteers pitch in to get Wanke Elementary ready for first day of school[/b]

A group of financial advisors from AXA Financial Advisors Co. traded their suits, ties and calculators for shorts, golf shirts and power drills Thursday to help get one of Northside School District's newest schools ready for the first day of class.

The financial advisors spent a half-day at the school at the corner of Old Prue and Bandera roads assembling roughly 800 desks for students and teachers. Though they acknowledged little previous experience in desk assembly, by mid-morning they were completing an entire classroom of desks every 4½ minutes.

Lots of businesses donate time to help school children, but "we wanted to do something a little different," said Ken Sedlock, a vice president at AXA who runs the retirement benefits group. His staff helps school district, municipal and nonprofit employees plan for retirement.

AXA, one of Northside's corporate partners, recently was a sponsor of the District's Administrator Institute and decided to raffle off not only its time, but also its manual labor.

"We're always trying to find ways to give back by thinking outside the box," said Matt Foxhall, a financial advisor who has been with AXA for almost three years.

Foxhall was glad to pitch in, especially because he's a 1999 graduate of Clark High School, another Northside ISD school.

"This is home, definitely," he said. "It's just amazing to see this district and where it's come from since I’ve been in school. We're excited."

On Thursday, the school was a flurry of activity, with dozens of workers delivering equipment and putting the finishing touches on construction. With just a few days to go before the first day of school, the contribution from AXA can't be underestimated, Wanke Principal Don Van Winkle said.

"They're freeing up the custodial staff," he said. "It's like adding five custodial staff members, and that's massive. Five people can make a huge difference."

About 600 children are expected to enroll in Wanke, one of four new elementary schools the District is opening this year. Van Winkle is confident the school will be ready in time. The school will eventually house over 800 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grades.

"Northside is used to opening new schools every year, it's a fairly smooth operation," he said. "The support has been unbelievable."

In addition to opening Wanke Elementary, NISD is also opening three other elementary schools: Fisher, Mead and Murnin. Also, the Northside Natatorium opened this month. The schools are projects are the result of successful bond elections that provide the funding.

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