Teacher Gifts

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Home : 2002 : December : 1

Teacher Gifts
By Mary

That is a great idea too. I think it is very important to teach kids that everyone can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Our PTO has a Community Outreach Program which sponsors a special activity every month.
This month we had a hat and mitten tree. The kids in our school brought in new hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, and socks. All of this cold weather gear was donated to an organization that distributes these items to needy children. In January the kids will stuff new tube stockings with shampoo, razors, soap, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. The stockings are given to a local

homeless shelter. The biggest project the PTO sponsers is a Walk-A-Thon in the spring. The kids vote for 4 local charities to walk for. Last year the kids raised over $6,000.00 for the Walk-A-Thon.
For the past seven years my second graders have done a special project at Christmas time. The kids earn money at home and I pay them a penny for every minute they read at home. This money is then used to buy books for an innercity second grade class room's library. Last year the kids raised $500.00 and then the whole class went to a bookstore to purchase the books. The kids then write letters to the kids in the class where the books go and they write back. It's a great project.
Another project that my class does throughout the school year is to make placemats for the people who receive Meals-On-Wheels. Every month the kids create 50 placemats that have a piece of artwork and also a piece of writing on them. The volunteers who bring meals to the elderly daily distribute these placemats. Between placemats, my kids write letters to these people. The elderly love these placemats and letters, and the kids receive many thank you notes from these people.