January 21 Home Communicator – I can imagine the scene. It’s the week before Christmas break and you are up to your eyeballs in parties and presents and concerts, oh my! Your child comes home from school very excited about an upcoming school project:
Child:MyclassiscollectingfoodforKids’FoodBasketandIhavetobringmeatsticks!!!!
Parent:What?
Child:I have to bring meat sticks! My class is collecting food for kids who are hungry! Can we get some meat sticks tonight?
Parent:What is a meat stick?? Did your teacher give you a paper to explain all of this?
Child:Yeah, I had a paper, but I lost it on the bus. I know for sure I have to bring meat sticks. Can we go get some tonight so I can bring them to school tomorrow?? Can we??
Sound familiar? All of our students, from 3 School through 8thgrade, worked together to raise money or collect items to benefit someone else this past Christmas season. And for that to happen, you as parents probably had to help, too. Often, these kinds of things can feel like one more item to add to our to-do lists or one more expense during an already money-draining season, but I want to share some stories with you about these Christmas collections and the effect they have on our children.
A 2nd grader, in an effort to donate food for Hand2Hand Ministries, gave up her money from the Tooth Fairy to help kids who don’t have enough to eat.
The 4 School students wanted to Be the Change this Christmas by collecting change for Paradise Bound Ministries. They brought in almost $800 in change! One boy and his younger brother emptied out the change they had been collecting in their piggy banks for their whole lives and donated it because the kids in the orphanage needed it more.
The 7thgraders supported Compassion International this Christmas. One 7thgrade student received a gift of coins from a fellow student at the class Christmas party, thanked the giver, then promptly added the money to the class Christmas collection.
The 5thgraders sold hot chocolate, baked goods, and crafts to staff and fellow students. They raised $600 from this event alone and donated it to Kids’ Food Basket along with the rest of the money they raised.
As a class of 2ndgraders put their baggies of food together for Hand2Hand Ministries, one of them requested that they pray over the food and for the kids who would eventually be eating it. She led the prayer for her classmates.
In a world where the focus is typically on me, me, me during the Christmas season, these collections helped kids to focus on others instead. The students (and their teachers) had the opportunity to see the great impact they could have when they all did their own small part. What a blessing it has been to see these students giving gifts to the King with such willing hearts!
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
Tricia Kiepert
Elementary Principal
