Tammy Smith’s second grade class at Braelinn Elementary School has been spearheading a school-wide project that resulted in $3,000 being sent to school children in Haiti.
Money raised during the very successful “Stars Shine for Haiti” campaign will provide over 5,000 water purification tablets, over 3,000 meals, two safety kits, over 3,000 vitamins, and complete tuition and supplies for one child, Anatus Anderson.
Smith’s second grade class began a friendship with Anatus last year after they sold enough cupcakes prepared by classroom students and parents to provide him with tuition and also money to purchase maps in French, and numerous meals for other students attending The Power of Education School in Haiti. Smith learned about the school in Haiti through one of her students and his father.
Smith’s students were able to learn more about Haiti through a Skype session with several students there, including Anatus.
This year, all Braelinn students have had lessons about life in Haiti. For more information on The Power of Education Foundation School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti visit: www.powerofeducationfoundation.org.
“Stars Shine for Haiti” project was comprised of two parts. The first component entitled “Chores for Change” asked students in every grade to contract with their parents during the last two weeks of January to perform certain chores in exchange for an agreed upon amount of money. In turn, the students donated their earnings to the campaign. The total collected for “Chores for Change” was more than $1,400.
The second component of the campaign, “High Five for Haiti,” took place during the first two weeks in February and involved students collecting, preparing, and then selling various items through a pre-ordering system which raised even more money to purchase supplies needed at the Haiti PEF School.
K-1st-graders sold flavored water to raise money to buy water purification tablets; 2nd and 3rd-graders made and sold chocolate dipped pretzels to pay for multiple meals for a large number of students; 4th-graders sold pencils in order to continue sponsoring a student with tuition and needed supplies; and 5th-graders sold “Stars Shine for Haiti” rubber bracelets that will provide money to purchase safety kits and vitamins.
