Service Learning Project /Happy Tails

 Chew Toys for Puppy Love

Service-learning is a method of teaching and learning that combines academics with meaningful service in the community. 

Puppy Love is the City of Norfolk’s animal shelter as well as Battle Creek, Tilden, Stanton, Madison, Meadow Grove, Neligh, and Oakdale. It has an overwhelming job to house and care for as many stray animals as they can. 

Team 2 students learned you don’t have to be an animal expert to help a community’s shelter. Animal shelters are happy to receive donations. Many pet supplies are needed at the shelter. The list is long and our students were drawn to the idea of pet toy donations. Team 2 stepped outside in the spring sunshine to craft over 30 chew toys for Puppy Love.

Our school librarian, Mrs. Brommer, had a keen interest in Team 2’s project. She and her husband have adopted eight special needs dogs from various rescue leagues.  They brought four of their “kids” to school and shared their story of pet adoption. Mrs. Brommer held everyone’s attention with each dog’s dramatic “before” and “after” story. It was encouraging to see what love can do for a homeless pet. Their story is not one we will soon forget. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Brommer, for all the great work you do to give special need dogs a good home and a second chance.

Several students asked for the pattern to make a chew toy for a pet at home. Click here for our pattern and let the nibbling begin!

Let's Color Their World

Chubby Crayons

Room 102 is connecting our Valentine’s Day celebration to a service-learning project. Since we have lots of crayons, we agreed to pop some in the oven, melt them down, and share brand new heart crayons with little hands.

These recycled crayons will be delivered to The Wesley Center. The extra big crayons are easy for little hands to hold and they don't break when used. 

There was still time in our day for cards and holiday sweets.

Heart-shaped chips!  Seriously? 

Happy Valentine's Day!

From Room 102 

Recycled Crayons

This year, Room 102 is connecting our Valentine’s Day celebration to a service-learning project. Since Room 102 had a lot of broken, stubby pieces of crayons, we agreed to pop them in the oven, melt them down, and share some brand new crayons with little fingers.

Tomorrow these recycled crayons will be delivered to Head Start Preschool.

Souper Bowl of Caring

As the AFC and NFC champs prepare to face off in this years big Super Bowl game, Norfolk Middle School students kicked off the "Souper Bowl of Caring" today. Students are encouraged to bring spare change to raise money to support our local Salvation Army's "Pack Away Hunger."

This is an effort to help raise awareness and make a difference for those experiencing poverty and hunger in OUR COMMUNITY. The money collected during the Middle School's "Souper Bowl of Caring" will go directly into a fund to purchase necessary food to feed those in need!

Participation is voluntary. It is not a competition . . . rather a cooperative effort.

"Souper effort in Room 102"

Our Shoeboxes Arrive in Zambia

Two shoeboxes were packed in October.

Dear Room 102,
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Thank you for participating in The Journey of a Shoebox and for choosing to follow your box.
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Your gift boxes went to Zambia. Forty-five percent of Zambia’s 13.4 million people are 14-years-old or younger. Thank you for reaching out to children in need.

Operation Christmas Child              

Can you imagine our shoeboxes delivered by elephant?  Amazing!

These kids are hanging out with their shoeboxes . . . and smiles!

                  

To learn more about our project click here and read the original post.X

The Journey of a Shoebox

This year Room 102 can look forward to getting involved in service learning projects.

The best kind of service learning puts an equal emphasis on service and learning. Projects challenge students to interact with the world outside the classroom, and then do something that will achieve real results.

Benefits can be far reaching. Real-world projects give students practical experience in collaborating, communicating, and making critical decisions. What's more, projects allow students to see that they can make a difference. Such experiences stick with kids long after they leave school.

Our first project is to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is the largest children's Christmas project in the world. They have been sending gift-filled shoeboxes to disadvantaged children around the world since 1990, helping over 80 million children across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.X

We packed two shoeboxes - one for a girl and one for a boy. This year we will follow our shoebox as it journeys outside the United States to another country and into the hands of a child. It's quite a trip!

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The journey for these two shoeboxes began in Room 102.

Thanks, students, for your donations.