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.
- Lannon Elementary School families provided a generous amount of nonperishable food items to the Sussex Food Pantry and Second Harvest as a result of the school’s winter musical programs. Families were encouraged to contribute food items as their “ticket” for several student performances. The school also conducted a successful winter outerwear drive for the Sussex Food Pantry that resulted in three large barrels of gently used coats, hats, mittens and scarves.
- Maple Avenue Elementary School Home & School collected 617 nonperishable food items and a jar of money from families for the Sussex Food Pantry. The food drive began at the annual Harvest Dance and extended until Thanksgiving. The Home and School also conducted a Toys for Tots drive in which they collected two barrels of unwrapped new toys. In lieu of gift exchanges, the staff and some community members purchased gifts for four Maple Avenue families. More than 70 items were purchased, including coats, hats, mittens, Pick ’n Save gift certificates, books, candy and toys for families in need. An individual Maple Avenue family sponsored another Maple Avenue family and purchased 15 gifts for them.
- Marcy Elementary School students collected items and money for numerous Waukesha Christmas Clearing Council families in lieu of student gift exchanges. Grade levels adopted families similar to the ages of their students. The grade levels collected items in a variety of ways. For example, some grades collected specific items and others requested money donations so that larger items could be purchased for the families. Certain classes involved students in wrapping the gifts, and others had students decide on the gifts that would be purchased. The school encouraged parents to have students earn money that would be contributed to make it more personal for students. The Parent-Teacher Association donated a $100 Pick ’n Save gift card for each family. In all, each family received at least $200 in gifts in addition to the PTA gift card.
- Woodside Elementary School families contributed more than 3,050 items in a campaign organized by the Student Council for the Sussex Food Pantry. Student Council members also counted and sorted food items before delivering them to the Sussex Food Pantry. Second-graders participated in a monthlong reading incentive project, “Toys for Children at Christmas,” in which they earned pledge money from relatives and friends for every 15 minutes of reading. The students netted $650 for toys that were donated to the Sussex Food Pantry. In addition, several classrooms provided necessities and comfort for needy families. The Woodside staff sponsored two families and provided items to them.
- Willow Springs Learning Center families collected more than 200 gifts that benefited the Sussex Food Pantry. Students and staff went to the Evergreen Fir Acres Tree Farm and requested a $1 donation from families for the field trip. Staff donations and the amount from the field trip request amounted to $624 that was donated to Sussex Area Outreach Services. Also, the two trees that were cut down during the field trip – one for the morning session and the other for the afternoon session – were donated to the Sussex Food Pantry.
- Templeton Middle School Student Council raised more than $1,600 to buy gifts for families. The Student Council obtained 22 names from the Waukesha County Christmas Clearing Council. Students shopped for gifts, wrapped them and delivered them after school. Seventh and eighth grade German students made and decorated Christmas cards for senior citizens. All cards were written in German and delivered to St. John’s Nursing Home in Milwaukee.
- Hamilton High School students contributed to various community groups during the holiday season. The Student Council conducted a successful food drive for the Sussex Food Pantry and collected toys for Children’s Hospital. Student Council members visited the LindenGrove-Menomonee Falls, served at a family Christmas party and sang songs. The Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) chapter adopted a classroom at Milwaukee’s LaFollette Elementary School and provided gift bags for each of the children. The Pep Club contributed to the family they adopted. The library staff organized a mitten and hat tree that generated warmth and comfort for needy individuals. The National Honor Society played bingo and awarded prizes they purchased for residents of the Arboretum Retirement Community in Menomonee Falls. The German Club organized its annual sweater-sweatshirt drive that netted a record number of 317 items for needy families in the area. The World Languages clubs distributed poinsettias to high school and district offices.
- At the district offices, staff members adopted two district families and provided gifts, clothing, food certificates, furniture and food to make their holiday season special.