Stephens Elementary students raise money for Red Cross relief efforts in New York

(L-R) Bopha Chea, Nikayla Vigil, Mark Serna, and Ryan Wooten along with their teacher, Stacey Hoyle, display some of their efforts for Red Cross fundraising. Fourth graders made and sold red, white and blue lapel pins and magnets at the recent open house held at Stephens Elementary. These sales raised $250 for the Red Cross funds. Cash donations brought the 3-day total to $1,530. The large flag seen in the background was constructed by Susan Larson and her students.

Concern for others is seen at Stephens Elementary where 4th graders have been busy raising funds for the American Red Cross relief funds. Fourth grade teachers Stacey Hoyle, Susan Larson, Jenifer Skivington, Jenny Barrett, Vicky Roberts, Jodi Schmiess, and Pattie Simpson along with student teacher Susan Hwang Po have spearheaded a school-wide fundraising effort for the Red Cross relief funds.

Interested in doing something positive to aid people who were victims of the September 11 attack in New York and Washington, D.C., Hoyle’s students wanted to create patriotic pins and magnets to sell during recent open house activities. Enthusiasm spread throughout all of the fourth grade classes with students using their creative efforts in a very positive manner. Sales of the pins and magnets netted $250. Along with this project, students also began a campaign to encourage every class at Stephens to donate money for the Red Cross programs. The total for just 3 days of donations is over $780 – that is a lot of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters! The Stephens PTO also gave $500 for school-wide a total of $1,530.

Contributions will be collected for the next two weeks at Stephens.

Word of the students’ project has spread to business partner, Hartford Insurance Company. The employees at Hartford want to help the students by purchasing the handmade red, white and blue pins and magnets. Third grade classes taught by Christi Chandler, Judy Johnson, Dea’Vanca Simon, Jan Jeanlouis, Nikki Hudson, and Jennifer Morrison will join the fourth graders in producing more pins and magnets to be sold. “Everyone at Stephens has done a tremendous job in making the Red Cross fundraising such a success,” Hoyle said. “We are proud of our students and their concern for others.