Meet Brittany Clay
Learning in the heart of Easton Park
We first talked to Easton Park residents Brittany and Curtis Clay back in 2020, when they had been living in their Knob Hill home for two years. Now, six years later, the Clay’s oldest daughter just finished 3rd grade at Newton Collins Elementary, their younger daughter just finished Pre-K, and Brittany has just ended her tenure as Newton Collins PTA President. We sat down with Brittany to hear why she was inspired to get involved at Easton Park’s neighborhood elementary school, and why she thinks Newton Collins Elementary is a great spot for young learners.
EP: Hi Brittany! Thanks for chatting with us! How did you get involved with the Newton Collins PTA?
BC: Newton Collins opened just a year before the COVID-19 shut down, so there was no time to build out a PTA or a volunteer system. Some of the parents got together to figure out how we could start some kind of PTA programming, and we were able to officially charter a PTA in 2022. I started as the Teacher Appreciation Chair, then President Elect, then I spent two years as PTA President. We were really building it from the ground up; it was hard, but also a labor of love.
EP: How has the Easton Park community rallied to support Newton Collins?
BC: There’s been an enormous response! We reached out to local businesses and other parents to get them involved. One of the things about Newton Collins is that we have fantastic teachers, fantastic leadership at the school, and incredible students. It’s a very diverse population of students. One of the first things we did was figure out how the parents could support the school. We started small. At first, one mom fronted the cost so we could make t-shirts. We maybe made $1,000, but we spent $1,300, so we were in the negative. The next year, we raised around $13,000. This year, we raised nearly $80,000 to help the school!
EP: That’s wonderful! What are the PTA’s funds used for?
BC: So many things! We fund micro-grants for our teachers. We fund literacy visits from authors who do hands-on reading and literacy programming with the kids. Some parents raised funds to start a community garden at the school. They’ve harvested so many vegetables and planted fruit trees, and now the students are eating salad harvested from the garden! It’s wonderful to see it grow. The teachers on the garden committee do science programming there, and interns from UT labs do science experiences with kids in other grades. This year, the PTA donated gift cards so every student can get a book during the school book fair. Last November, we started a food pantry after some families lost access to food benefits, so now we have a food pantry with a commercial-sized refrigerator . And there are year-round teacher appreciation activities.
EP: It seems like the community is really involved in the school!
BC: For sure! It’s really been a lesson in how you show up as a community to promote public education. Everyone is working together to make Newton Collins a magical place to learn and grow. We know everyone there, from the custodians and the teachers to the front office staff, and they know all the kids. It’s the heart of our community. So much happens there. So many businesses support the school. It’s been the best labor of love.
EP: How has it been having more retail around Easton Park?
BC: The new retail has been amazing for our PTA! Frost Bank is one of our biggest PTA supporters. And the kids like to go to McDonald’s in the summer. It’s great because it’s all walkable or ridable on our bikes. I love it! Paws on Chicon has donated to the school, and Cheba Hut! And of course we love Cenizo — the owners live in Easton Park! They make a great hot banana latte. I would have never thought of it, but it’s fantastic. I also love the matcha latte with honey lavender syrup! And I know that every time I buy a latte, one or two dollars goes back into our local schools and community.
EP: What would you say to someone considering Easton Park?
BC: I would say that oftentimes, in older, more established neighborhoods, people already have relationships with their neighbors. But here in Easton Park, because of the nature of building the community from the ground up, it’s easy to find friendships and build that community with your neighbors. It’s very walkable, and everything was developed with community in mind. All of the events and community spaces make it easy to meet new people. It’s a great place to be if you want to know your neighbors. At any moment, you can have an impromptu coffee meetup. At Skyline Park, we always see friends. There’s no need to plan or organize playdates because it all happens organically!
Thanks, Brittany, for sharing your experience and for all of your work on the Newton Collins PTA! And for what’s next with Brittany? She’ll be heading over to Ojeda Middle School, where Easton Park students are zoned for grades 6-8. Brittany wants to recreate the magic that families have built at Newton Collins at the next level. With parent and community support, she believes all schools can thrive!
If you want to live in a neighborhood that feels like a small town, come find your home in Easton Park today!
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