In Spirit of Thanksgiving, AUSD Students Give to the Community

Part of our mission at Alameda Unified School District is to prepare our students to become “responsible citizens.” And part of responsible citizenry, we believe, is caring for others in our community. As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to shine a light of gratitude on just a few of the ways that our schools and our students are serving as stewards to those in need during this holiday season.

For instance:

· The Student Council at Haight Elementary School held a coat drive as part of the One Warm Coat campaign. All of the 35 coats collected will go to St. Vincent de Paul. Lincoln Middle School is also holding a coat drive for distribution to those in need.

· Classes at the Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) are collecting canned and dried food.

· Fourth and fifth grade students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School put on a performance and served dinner to veterans from Alameda as part of their first annual Ruby Bridges Day celebration. Staff and students are also raising funds for Asante Africa Foundation, a non-profit that supports the education of students in Kenya and Tanzania by providing leadership opportunities to youth in their own communities.

· Classes at Encinal High School are competing to see who can collect the most food for the Alameda Food Bank. The school’s Leadership Class and Peace Club are also adopting a local family for the holidays.

· At Otis Elementary School, first grader Ryan Graham is holding the school’s 3rd annual “NEW Sock Drive” along with his sister Elina Graham, a 6th grader atLincoln Middle School. The socks go to homeless guests at Pappo’s Annual Soup Kitchen, held every Christmas Eve, as well as Alameda’s Midway Shelter. First graders at Otis are also collecting canned goods for the Alameda Food Bank, and the school’s leadership students are holding a coin drive to purchase books and pajamas for homeless AUSD students.

· Edison Elementary School students collected close to four barrels of food during its annual canned food drive for the Alameda Food Bank this year. Fifth graders at the school made posters, did presentations in classrooms, and “hosted” the barrels both before and after school. The school also raised more than $2100 to purchase turkeys for the Alameda Food Bank.

· Fifth graders at Earhart Elementary School are collecting small containers (hotel size) for Operation Dignity (you can read more about that on our home page). And fourth graders at the school are collecting towels for the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter.

“I am so impressed with our schools’ efforts and our young people’s generosity,” says Interim Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. “From collecting food for our local food bank to supporting youth in Kenya, AUSD students are learning to share their time, talents, and treasures with others. This is a life lesson that we, as adults, know is invaluable for both the givers and the receivers, and I applaud all of these efforts.”

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings

December 9, 2014; 6:30 pm

City Hall

January 27, 2014; 6:30 pm

City Hall

Information submitted by Alameda Unified School District