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 Wapakoneta Elementary School fourth grade teacher Jason Brandt, above, teaches his class on the first day of school. Staff photo/ William Laney By KAREN CAMPBELL
Assistant Managing Editor
With a few technology and communication glitches and parents learning along with students where they need to go, Wapakoneta City Schools students’ first day of class went without any major problems, administrators say.
“The school day is going fine,” Superintendent Keith Horner said Tuesday afternoon.
He said one of the biggest hurdles to overcome was a new pick-up and drop-off system at Wapakoneta Elementary School.
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Centennial breaks record on tabs |
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Tuesday, 30 March 2010 |
By KRISTA HAYES
Staff Writer
Nearing the end of the 2009-10 school year, students at Centennial Elementary School have surpassed their goal of raising 1 million pop can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) — by nearly four times.
Students have collected more than 2,414 pounds of aluminum pop can tabs for their second consecutive year of hosting the Ronald McDonald House as their Service Learning Project, amounting to 3,746,528 individual tabs.
Calculating the tabs by weight alone, the school held their first pop can tab weigh-in assembly Oct. 23, in which they managed to collect 1,031 pounds of tabs, exceeding their 1 million goal at the start of the school year.
On Jan. 22, they added another 1,383 pounds to that total during their second weigh-in assembly, collecting nearly 1.5 million additional tabs. Now in finishing out the year, students are scheduled to hold their last pop can tab weigh-in assembly April 29.
“We started out the school year with just two big tab towers — which you can’t miss when you walk into the front doors of the school — and ended up having to add two more to our last weigh-in, and we still had an overflow,” Centennial Elementary school paraeducator and RMH Committee Chair Mary Beth Webb said. “Now, we have a total of eight towers, and of those, six and one-half are filled with tabs.
“We set our goal at 1 million tabs again this year because we wanted the students to be able to reach their goal,” she said. “Like I said before, they never cease to amaze me and you can tell it really hits home and touches their hearts because they’re kids helping other kids — kids just like them but have greater health needs.”
If Centennial Elementary School students keep collecting tabs at this rate, they may be well on their way to breaking yet another record come the end of the school year.
“Students at Centennial currently hold the record for the highest amount of tabs ever donated to the Ronald McDonald House out of any school in Ohio or the U.S., and their gift is extremely significant and one of the largest gifts to be received from a school,” Lezley Pisone, development director for Ronald McDonald House Charities in the Ohio Miami Valley Region told the Wapakoneta Daily News last June. “The money they raised will be used to support the Ronald McDonald House program by covering expenses associated with 132 nights of stay for families with hospitalized children.”
After setting a goal at the beginning of the school year in August 2008 to collect 1 million pop can tabs, students at the school managed to exceed those expectations by donating 2.5 million tabs weighing approximately 1,641 pounds, and raising $13,126 for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
In doing so, the school not only collected tabs but also held various fundraisers throughout the year all in an effort to make a difference in the lives of terminally ill or injured children their age.
This year, the school has continued that tradition, and thus far has crafted and donated 125 fleece winter hats and 80 pillow cases to the Dayton Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. In addition, students are to also create microwavable muscle ailing “snake buddies” next month to donate to kids living in the Ronald McDonald House as well.
“The kids love holding fundraisers and collecting pop can tabs throughout the year, and what’s so great that is in doing so they’re learning the importance of giving back to the community and taking care of others — people they may not necessarily know,” Webb said. “It keeps the concept of their service learning project in the front of their minds all year long, and it’s something they all can participate in and set their own goals to because every tab makes a difference.”
With this year’s service learning project themed “Down on the Farm,” Centennial Elementary School students are expected to hold their annual Ronald McDonald Walk at the end of the school year in which a closing ceremony will follow with a check presented to Pisone by the school together with Wapakoneta McDonald’s owner Jeff Monfort and Public Relations Manager Bonnie Berry.
The school also will be slated to participate in the Ronald McDonald House’s annual Tab-A-Palooza event scheduled to be held May 1 in Dayton at the National City Second Street Market.
Knowing that Centennial Elementary School students are not alone in helping to make a difference, Webb expressed thanks to the local community as well for their generous donations.
“There are times when I’ll get home from school and there will be a bag of tabs setting on my doorstep,” Webb said. “I can’t tell you how many people have come into the office over the years just to drop off tabs or sent them to school with their child. It really is amazing how well everyone has been involved and dedicated in helping Centennial students to reach and exceed their goal. As a community, we really are helping to make a difference.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 March 2010 )
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