With the month of December upon us, Rowland and Adrian Elementary Schools can look back with great pride on the accomplishments that both buildings made in an effort of charity and good will to help the community. At each building, November was officially named “CARING month” and as such, both buildings collaborated in collecting canned foods and non-canned, non-perishable items.
Led by Mrs. Karen Jones and Ms. Sylvia Marshall, students set out to not only gather such items, but to ask others in the community for their help as well. During the second week of November, third grade students at both buildings distributed empty bags in neighborhoods near their elementary buildings, with a simple request for residents to fill the bags with canned or non-canned items. A few days later, students returned to those same homes, and picked up the bags to be sorted at the buildings. In addition, Adrian’s collection facilitated their Fill the Box event during parent conferences.
Throughout the month of November, nearly 2,000 items had been collected. Rowland’s collection has been donated to Trials for Hope, a local non-profit that helps improve people’s quality-of-life. Both schools also donated food items to Bethany Covenant Church in Lyndhurst, which partners with the district to help families.
As a total school-wide effort at Rowland, when the third grade students were completed with their collections, first and second grade students sorted and boxed the canned and non-canned goods, respectively and kindergarten students colored picture labels to be placed on the boxes.
The SEL Schools would like to thank the special efforts of the students and staff at Rowland and Adrian Elementary Schools for taking advantage of November as their “CARING month,” and for helping others in need.