On Wednesday, Student Council held a School Spirit Day the culminating activity for the fund-raiser.
By Ruth Luse
According to Hopewell Elementary fifth-grade teacher Robert Alexander, the school community has gone all out to help the victims of the Asian tsunami.
And on Wednesday (yesterday), the Student Council held a School Spirit Day the culminating activity for the fund-raiser. Students were encouraged to wear the school colors (blue and gold) and make a donation.
As of press time, Hopewell students had raised more than $4000. "We are still counting," said Mr. Alexander. All the proceeds will be contributed to AmeriCares, which boasts that 99 percent of all proceeds donated are actually used to help the victims.
"These little guys/gals have been bending over backwards to solicit donations. The fifth grade students were leading the way by making posters to place around the school asking for donations. They also collected and decorated coffee cans which they placed in all the classrooms and special area rooms as well as the office and cafeteria in order that the students might donate whenever they had the chance," said Mr. Alexander.
Julie Fanella and Sharon Cohen, second-grade teachers, he reported, held a "very successful read-a-thon to help in the cause."
Some third-grade students baked brownies and made lemonade to sell over a recent weekend, proceeds from which they donated to the fund. Students were bringing in allowance money and savings to help, Mr. Alexander added.
On two recent Wednesdays, the school had a "Skip-a-snack day" in the cafeteria and encouraged students to donate their snack money to the fund instead of buying a snack.
"We have a wonderful school community here at Hopewell. The students have been so energized and caring and have given without hesitation and truly from their hearts. They have been supportive of each other and there is no competition among them, just a true desire to help. Parents as well have been most generous. This has truly been a school-wide effort. The students should be so very proud," Mr. Alexander concluded.
Of the children’s efforts, Principal Christine Laquidara said: "This money was collected without effort. The students, parents and staff have been very generous with their time and money. I am especially proud of the students who donated their own money to help the victims of this crisis. No matter the cause, this Hopewell community can always be counted on to help. The staff is also always there to support the students with their ideas and without their help this would not have been possible. It was a total team effort of all of the staff, students and parents."

