Hamilton Elementary Schools Holiday Donation Roundup

SUSSEX -- Hamilton School District students, staff and families showed appreciation for the needs of others during the holidays by contributing to charitable organizations and extending acts of kindness within the community and beyond. Following is a summary of activities at each school.

Willow Springs Learning Center

Willow Springs Learning Center four-year- old kindergartners and their families contributed generously to Sussex Outreach Services (SOS) this holiday season. Families and staff collected more than 300 gifts, and students hand-delivered them as a group to St. James Catholic Church where they sang songs before returning to school. In addition, Willow Springs staff members made a financial donation. The toys and gifts will be distributed within the local community.

Lannon Elementary School

Lannon Elementary School students, families and staff members collected 265 food items and paper products, 227 new items of clothing and toys and 239 gently used toys and clothing – all donated to the SOS food pantry. New clothing items included 80 pairs of socks, 13 pairs of underwear, 50 pairs of mittens, 55 hats, three pairs of boots, three blankets, eight tops and bottoms, and 15 new toys.

Lannon staff sponsored a Sussex area family of four for Christmas and generously donated toys, books, bedding, coats, grocery gift cards and several household items to help them this holiday season.

Students decorated 328 paper grocery bags donated by Sussex Piggly Wiggly to be used at the Sussex Food Pantry Christmas dinner distribution.

Maple Avenue Elementary School

Maple Avenue fifth grade students, through their Uniting Kids and Community (UKC) program, sponsored a food drive. Maple Avenue students collected more than 300 non-perishable healthy foods and snacks to be donated to the Sussex Food Pantry.

Maple Avenue buddy classes in first and third grades earned money by doing extra work at home. They raised $500 to purchase 125 books for all ages and reading levels that families could enjoy during the holiday season. All books were donated to SOS.

Maple Avenue kindergarten students in Mary Kuriga’s class performed random acts of kindness in December including decorating school hallways and the principal’s office, delivering candy canes and leaving holiday bookmarks in library books among others.

Christina Garley’s fifth-grade classroom is collecting money for a charitable organization as part of its “Buck a Book” program.

Marcy Elementary School

Marcy students collected more than $2,500 for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight which will fund flights for five veterans.

Kindergarten classes donated more than 600 items to the Sussex Food Pantry. The items were collected as a part of a holiday food drive.

First grade students participated in “Red Nose Day” raising money to help fight children’s poverty in America and across the world.

Second grade classes collected items for the Humane Society and the Ronald McDonald House. Third grade classes are planning a later donation the Ronald McDonald House. Fourth grade classes donated candy and wrote cards to kids at Children’s Hospital. The classes also wrote letters to soldiers.

Fifth grade classes participated in a book and backpack drive for a Waukesha school.

Woodside Elementary School

With the help of a third grade parent and the Back the Blue organization, technology class students created 640 beautiful thank you and holiday cards to spread cheer to local law enforcement officers and to thank them for all they do to keep our community safe.

Kindergartners in Peter Dargatz’s class collected “Dargatz Dollars” for classroom tasks in their “wants and needs” unit. Dollars are turned in for items the students wanted and donated to patients in need at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Students and families also signed a giving contract and gave up one holiday want to donate to those in need. The kindergartners will be leading an all- school Children’s Hospital fundraiser in January.

Kindergarten classes delivered gifts for 75 residents at Serenity Village, an assisted living residence in Slinger. As part of the Kindergarten Service Project, students and their families signed up to provide gifts for individuals at the facility. The gifts were distributed at the residents’ holiday party.

Woodside first grade and third grade families brought donations for the Sussex Food Pantry to their holiday music performances.

The fifth grade Students of Service Club made and sold ornaments, fun-shaped crayons and buttons to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). They made $110 which will be presented to JDRF at the end of December.

Woodside families and staff members collected more than $2,000 before Thanksgiving to create turkey tubs filled with groceries for families in need in Milwaukee’s Notre Dame Middle School community. Woodside students were asked to donate money they earned by doing chores at home.

Parent volunteers shopped for groceries to build the tubs. Items included a frozen turkey, bag of stuffing, jar of gravy, sweet potatoes, fresh vegetables, bread, canned cranberries, a fresh pie, beverages, appetizers such as crackers and nuts, along with an aluminum roasting pan. All of the items were put into 31 large sturdy tubs and delivered to families.

Photo: Woodside Elementary School families and staff members collected more than $2,000 before Thanksgiving to create turkey tubs filled with groceries for families in need in Milwaukee’s Notre Dame Middle School community.