Elkins Primary Class Brings Community Together to Help Families in Need
By: Kyle Leyenberger
Updated: December 14, 2012
A small class at Elkins Primary is doing big things to make sure every kid in the district gets to celebrate Christmas.
"On Christmas morning when my aunt comes she always has a surprise for us," says second grade student Kenna Couch.
But Couch understands some of her classmates aren't as fortunate.
"Their parents can't really get them presents cause Santa can't really do that much stuff," she says.
The district's Christmas Treasures program helps families in need celebrate the holiday, but Kenna's teacher, Melissa Eaton says this year the funding wasn't there.
"I brought that to my class and said, 'What do you think we can do?'" Eaton says. "The kids came up with ideas like, 'Hmm... lets call the President."
Eaton's class took a different route, writing local businesses to ask for help.
"They just started calling and emailing and saying 'How can we help? Where is your area of greatest need?" Eaton says. "It just got bigger and bigger and bigger."
In the beginning, the students hoped to raise maybe $500, but it snowballed into much more, and by the end they collected dozens of toys, a cafeteria full of food, and $1500.
Eaton says her students now know the meaning of compassion
"I watched my kids go from saying, 'I wonder what I'm going to get for Christmas' to 'I wonder what I can do for somebody else,'" she says. "If they can put that somewhere within them for the rest of their lives then our whole community is a better place."
Kenna now knows when a community comes together, even a small class in Elkins can accomplish something great.
"Just by sending a few notes it got us to a big place," she says. "It feels really good because you're helping someone."
"On Christmas morning when my aunt comes she always has a surprise for us," says second grade student Kenna Couch.
But Couch understands some of her classmates aren't as fortunate.
"Their parents can't really get them presents cause Santa can't really do that much stuff," she says.
The district's Christmas Treasures program helps families in need celebrate the holiday, but Kenna's teacher, Melissa Eaton says this year the funding wasn't there.
"I brought that to my class and said, 'What do you think we can do?'" Eaton says. "The kids came up with ideas like, 'Hmm... lets call the President."
Eaton's class took a different route, writing local businesses to ask for help.
"They just started calling and emailing and saying 'How can we help? Where is your area of greatest need?" Eaton says. "It just got bigger and bigger and bigger."
In the beginning, the students hoped to raise maybe $500, but it snowballed into much more, and by the end they collected dozens of toys, a cafeteria full of food, and $1500.
Eaton says her students now know the meaning of compassion
"I watched my kids go from saying, 'I wonder what I'm going to get for Christmas' to 'I wonder what I can do for somebody else,'" she says. "If they can put that somewhere within them for the rest of their lives then our whole community is a better place."
Kenna now knows when a community comes together, even a small class in Elkins can accomplish something great.
"Just by sending a few notes it got us to a big place," she says. "It feels really good because you're helping someone."
