Learning to give

The school has always been steeped in the tradition of giving to others and helping the less fortunate.  For years the girls in the girls high school have helped serve free Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless.  Both high schools use Rosh Hodesh as days to spend time volunteering around the city – working with Alzheimers patients, head start students, recovering alcoholics or visiting with patients at the VA Hospital.  High School girls participate in Special Olympics Bowling every Monday afternoon.  Our boys high school has helped people victimized by tornadoes and storms restore their properties.  High school students have participated in Habitat for Humanity projects as character- building activities.  Over the years students have spearheaded tzedakah campaigns for food banks, shoes and coats for needy Israelis, and collecting money for various charitable causes, including our local Federation, as well as Israeli programs.  But what has become some of the most noteworthy and commendable efforts,  have been the activities initiated and guided by Mrs. Sandra Gersten, Elementary Principal.  Last Thanksgiving the students loaded tote bags with toiletries they collected and personal notes they inscribed for the homeless, as they have done for a number of years.  Additionally, they made and distributed colorful flannel blankets.  All of this was done as part of the school’s annual Thanksgiving Day celebration.  Last Thursday, the elementary school students, in conjunction with volunteers from Plough Towers, made over 400 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to distribute to an organization which feeds the needy.  The experience was significant for the students as well as the volunteers.  Students continue to bring in nonperishable food items for a MIFA food bank.  The administrators and teachers do an excellent job in transmitting to our students the importance of lending a helping hand in as many ways as possible, to as many people as possible, within and outside of our community. Kudos go to those people who have made this all possible and to our wonderful students who understand first- hand the importance of helping others.