Swampscott Elementary Students Show Sunflower Support For Ukraine

SWAMPSCOTT, MA —What began as three third-graders coming to Swampscott Clarke Elementary School Principal Mary Beth Shea about wanting to help Ukrainians caught in a sudden war has turned into a campaign across the town's three elementary schools to raise $10,000 to feed refugees displaced amid the Russian invasion.

"They were very worried about people they saw on the news fleeing the violence and asked if we could do something to help," Shea told Patch, noting that 22 percent of the school's students speak English as their second language with a large population having connections to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. "So we wanted to show support for people caught on all sides of this crisis. We felt it was important for students to have a sense of agency about how they could make a difference."

O'Shea said ELL teachers Colleen Reed and Gloria Salvanelli met with what turned out to be about 40 students who volunteered to do morning announcements, decorate bulletin boards and create posters promoting peace.

Students also stuffed envelopes with sunflowers — the Ukraine flower that has become a symbol of peace and hope amid the destruction — in which notices were sent home to parents informing them of the fundraiser and the receiving charity of World Central Kitchen, which operates food stations along the Ukraine border for those displaced during the war.

Shea said the envelopes also included information about how to talk with young students in a time of war where graphic images play out on television each night.

(ALSO ON PATCH: 'War On Television' A Harsh Reality For Many North Shore Students)

"We explained to our youngest students that this is like the drives we do for our local food pantry but this time it is to help people in another part of the world," Shea said of the World Central Kitchen.

Shea said the students set a goal of raising $1,000 — which was surpassed within 48 hours. The new goal is $10,000 with students from the Hadley and Stanley elementary schools now assisting in the efforts.

There are two ways to donate to the Clarke students' campaign — families can fill the sunflower envelopes with a donation that is returned to the school, or residents are encouraged to donate directly to the World Central Kitchen here.

O'Shea produced a short video of the students' efforts that is available here:

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)