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MISD raises $35K for charity
By BRIAN PORTER/Managing Editor
Practical Mesquite ISD classroom lessons will pay dividends for needy residents across the city this holiday season and it all was accomplished in a day.
Classes at elementary, middle and high school campuses throughout the Mesquite ISD raised more than $35,000 for Mesquite Social Services, with Poteet High School collecting a total donation of $15,000 through a project titled “Scholiday Spirit…Is it in you?”
“We are so excited about this,” said Treva Franklin, MISD administrative officer for instruction. “We’ve had classes from different schools doing different things.”
Classroom teachers, staff and students combined to coordinate a district-wide effort which began with each individual campus.
“We began with a contact at each campus and then the campus decided what they wanted to do,” Franklin said. “They helped the students understand what charity is and why it is important. Each campus had a different thing they did.”
Needs exist for a great majority of students and their families at several of the MISD campuses classified as Title I, where at least 50 percent of the students are on free- or reduced-price lunches. There are 14 elementary schools in the MISD classified as Title I.
“We had a fourth-grade class at one of those schools that went to the area businesses,” Franklin said. “(The students) may not be able to help, but can look at what resources they have to help.”
Another Title I campus used a guessing game with M&Ms to raise funds and at another money was collected to decide which staff member would spend a day dressed as a Christmas tree.
“There are parents at some schools that are struggling themselves,” Franklin said.
At Poteet, the Texas Association of Future Educators Club members decorated doors for teachers and $398 was raised on the first day. By the end of the first week, almost $2,000 had been raised. Principal Andrew Bauer then promised students a jeans day if they could reach $3,000 and pledged $100 of his own money for each $1,000 raised by the students.
Added incentive came when assistant principal Kevin Samples agreed to dress as Santa for a day if the students could reach $5,000.
English teacher Joyce Wascom and history teacher Chris Rayson both raised more than $1,000 in their classes. ROTC classes were close behind raising more than $950.00. Six teachers were awarded a gold door for raising more than $200 in their classes. There were 15 teachers that received decorated doors.
Because of a matching donation from Bank of America, Poteet was able to donate $15,000 to Mesquite Social Services.
“Our teachers really embraced the idea and encouraged students to give,” said TAFE Club sponsor Atrice Adeniyi.
At Lawrence Elementary, students in a fourth-grade class wrote letters to local businesses for donations. The class received more than $1,200 and students followed up with hand-written thank you notes.
“We were extremely overwhelmed with the generosity of Mesquite ISD and especially Poteet High School and Bank of America,” said Jami Russell, Mesquite Social Services executive director. “It is refreshing to know that everyone involved with this fundraiser understood the needs of our community and were able to come through this holiday season. The money will be used to purchase clothing, food, toys and stocking stuffers for struggling families.”
Contact Brian Porter at bporter@acnpapers.com.
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