Maple School is Buzzing with Excitement These Days

The Chardon Local School District’s Maple School was buzzing with excitement during March over their Kindness Project. Led by Kindergarten teacher Chloe Ellis, the 8 classes of “Tiny Toppers” – comprising Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students - collected boxes of cereal to donate to food pantries in Chardon and Burton. Their goal was 200 boxes by March 25. They actually received almost 500!

As an outgrowth from the school’s motto for the year - “Be safe. Be kind. Do your best”- the children are learning to care about their neighbors, especially those who are food insecure. An added incentive to contribute came from the lunchroom supervisor Miss Libby Savel, who has promised that if the children reach their goal, they will be allowed to toss water balloons at her outside. When the drive ended, the teachers lined up the boxes like dominoes and let the students cheer as they watch the boxes fall on to the next box all along the school sidewalk.

If it is true that everything we need to know, we learned in kindergarten, then these lucky students have taken a giant step in understanding and caring for their friends and neighbors.