Southaven Intermediate students write, raise funds for kids in Rwanda
Get Your School Supplies Coupon Here
This service project required a little more than just spinning a globe, picking a country, scribbling a letter and being done with it.
Roughly 150 Spotlight students at Southaven Intermediate School went above and beyond -- and then some.
Through the International Education Exchange and guidance from teachers Alison Sanders, Krystal Shaw and Heather Chaput, the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders recently raised $1,200 to send to the Republic of Rwanda in Africa.
SIS is partnered with the Rwankuba Primary School in Kigali.
"The first thing we did is the kids painted ornaments and we sold those at our school crafts fair and at different things around the community," Sanders said. "We also sold tiles that the kids could paint, and they're hanging in the cafeteria."
Said Chaput: "We've been able to learn how grateful we should be, because the average teacher there makes about $20 a year. The money we're sending is going to allow them to buy textbooks and any other school supplies they can't afford to buy, because they usually only work from a chalkboard. They might have some paper resources, but that's about it."
Paper is valuable on both ends. How else would the students get to become pen pals?
"I don't think a lot of them had ever had a pen pal before," said Shaw, "so this was all new. They also sent pictures, so we got to see what they looked like and what their school looked like. I think it was a really neat experience for them."
Sanders is getting to take it one step further.
"I'm actually communicating with one of the teachers," she said. "I've talked to them back and forth, 'What do y'all need? Please let me know what you get,' and that sort of thing."
Fundraising was done individually as well, with fourth-grader Ariana Howell at the top with about $200.
"My mom and some of the people at my church helped me raise money," she said. "I have fun doing things like that."
Chaput knows how big an opportunity this is.
"It's really close to my heart and it's really become close to their hearts," she said. "They want to keep up with these kids, what's going on and how they're able to benefit from us doing this."
While painting ornaments and tiles is the fun and creative part, Sanders is pleased that her students have fully grasped the educational aspect.
"We've learned so much this year about Rwanda. The kids have researched it," she said. "It's been really awesome."
Chaput is eagerly looking forward to next year.
"The third- and fourth-graders that move up, they'll keep the same pen pal," she said. "My fifth-graders can choose to keep up with the pen pals through their home address.
This service project required a little more than just spinning a globe, picking a country, scribbling a letter and being done with it.
Roughly 150 Spotlight students at Southaven Intermediate School went above and beyond -- and then some.
Through the International Education Exchange and guidance from teachers Alison Sanders, Krystal Shaw and Heather Chaput, the third-, fourth- and fifth-graders recently raised $1,200 to send to the Republic of Rwanda in Africa.
SIS is partnered with the Rwankuba Primary School in Kigali.
"The first thing we did is the kids painted ornaments and we sold those at our school crafts fair and at different things around the community," Sanders said. "We also sold tiles that the kids could paint, and they're hanging in the cafeteria."
Said Chaput: "We've been able to learn how grateful we should be, because the average teacher there makes about $20 a year. The money we're sending is going to allow them to buy textbooks and any other school supplies they can't afford to buy, because they usually only work from a chalkboard. They might have some paper resources, but that's about it."
Paper is valuable on both ends. How else would the students get to become pen pals?
"I don't think a lot of them had ever had a pen pal before," said Shaw, "so this was all new. They also sent pictures, so we got to see what they looked like and what their school looked like. I think it was a really neat experience for them."
Sanders is getting to take it one step further.
"I'm actually communicating with one of the teachers," she said. "I've talked to them back and forth, 'What do y'all need? Please let me know what you get,' and that sort of thing."
Fundraising was done individually as well, with fourth-grader Ariana Howell at the top with about $200.
"My mom and some of the people at my church helped me raise money," she said. "I have fun doing things like that."
Chaput knows how big an opportunity this is.
"It's really close to my heart and it's really become close to their hearts," she said. "They want to keep up with these kids, what's going on and how they're able to benefit from us doing this."
While painting ornaments and tiles is the fun and creative part, Sanders is pleased that her students have fully grasped the educational aspect.
"We've learned so much this year about Rwanda. The kids have researched it," she said. "It's been really awesome."
Chaput is eagerly looking forward to next year.
"The third- and fourth-graders that move up, they'll keep the same pen pal," she said. "My fifth-graders can choose to keep up with the pen pals through their home address.
0 Response to "Southaven Intermediate students write, raise funds for kids in Rwanda"