When the school year opened this year at St. Susanna School, in Mason, Ohio, things looked a bit different. The biggest difference for sixth graders Henry Harting, Juliet Benick, Belle Heile, and Emerson Moser, and Ben White, was that there were no student activities, especially activities that allowed them to help others.
“Henry and the others reached out to me and told me they needed to talk to me about something that was important” shared teacher Emily Rottinghause. “I was worried something was wrong!”
Happily, nothing was wrong. The students wanted to share a great idea with Ms. Rottinghouse. “I felt bad that they were missing out on the Student Council, and they proposed a few ideas that would allow them to do something good for our community, all while taking COVID-safe precautions” Ms. Rottinghause explained.
Henry, Juliet, Bella, Emerson, and Ben started a group called “Operation Donation.” The main goal is to coordinate fundraisers, food drives, and clothing donations to help children who are less fortunate.
Their first project was to support the school’s service project during Catholic Schools Week. St. Sussana was raising money, collecting used t-shirts to be recycled into reusable shopping bags, and making cards to help provide food for Food for All. Operation Donation made posters and flyers to hang throughout the school and created digital posters for Google Classroom to help teachers get the word out. They set goals of collecting 650 cards and 650 shirts. In only a week, their efforts led to the donation of over $1000.00, 663 t-shirts, and over 650 cards! That isn’t too shabby for a school of 673 students!
They are already working on their next two projects. They are helping to collect food to support local food pantries and they are raising money to help a town in Uganda build a water source.
“Operation Donation would want all of you to know that it isn’t about the donation you give, but the difference you make.” Ms. Rottinghause told us. Very wise words from the students at St. Susanna. This weeks’ NewsDepth A+ Award goes to Operation Donation, for doing their part to help those in need!
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