April already had a few themes – Jazz Appreciation Month, National Poetry Writing Month and National Arab American Heritage Month among them – but the students at Welches Middle and Elementary Schools could add another to the tally: a month of giving.

During the 30 days of April, the schools were involved in three benevolent
activities, helping people from the local community to as far away as Japan.
The month began with the Big Give, an event spawned from the Walk for
Literacy.

Students participated in various sports and arts camps, while adults from the
different Oregon Trail School District schools competed in the Oregon Trail
Adventure, a series of challenges testing their mental and physical abilities.
“It’s fun to see the groups of teachers out there just kind of messing around,
trying to get over planks and all sorts of stuff,” said Welches Teacher on
Special Assignment James Milliken, who compared it to the popular TV show
“Minute to Win It.”

At the event, each school’s parent club hosted a food booth, with proceeds
benefiting that club.

The Welches booth offered cotton candy and snow cones, and Milliken
reported the thematically appropriate grub was a hit.

“I think that was the most successful food (booth),” he said.

Back at the schools, students in Chris Williamson’s service learning class took
the initiative in responding to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated
Japan by collecting socks for the victims.

“I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if something like that happened
here and how much trouble we’d be going through,” said sixth grader Hadley
Carpenter, 11. “They’ll have a lot of socks.”

As part of the project, students reached out to local businesses to offer raffle
incentives for collecting socks, and found many willing partners, including The
Resort at The Mountain, El Burro Loco, Wy’east Book Shoppe and Skyway Bar
and Grill.

In a tally prior to the end of the project, sixth grade students had brought in
more socks than their older counterparts, but one student saw the raffle
prizes as extra incentive to bring in more socks.

“That’s pretty motivating to the students to know that they’re donating stuff
to Japan and might get a cool prize,” said seventh grader Drew Kenney, 13.

Finally, the month ended with a pair of sixth grade students looking to help
fight cancer by collecting pennies to donate to a children’s hospital.
Alex Ater and Saraiah Hughes rallied the students for a week to raise funds,
offering the class that raises the most a movie and pizza party in the gym as a
prize.

The girls noted that despite the work involved of setting it all up and making
all the necessary posters, they would be willing to do it again for another
cause.

“I hope it works,” added Hughes.

Welches Principal Alex Leaver commended all the students for the work,
noting in particular that the socks and pennies projects were both initiated by
the students.

“It’s them responding in a compassionate and empathetic way, which is one of
the things we want from our students,” Leaver said. “It’s part of being in a
healthy community.”