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Stroud first graders filled ziplock bags full of items to donate to military families. Photo/Chelsea Weeks
This year the Stroud Parkview Elementary school celebrated the 100th day of school in a way that will benefit others.
The project for this year’s 100th school day celebration was to make 100 care packages for the military.
Each class was designated to bring a specific item, with the goal of reaching a quantity of 100 per item.
Items included small bags of individually wrapped lifesavers, sunflower seeds, instant flavor packets for water, packs of gum, instant coffee mix, Twizzlers, baby wipes, Kleenex and chapstick.
Within one week the elementary school had over 1,000 items.
“Items just came pouring in everyday,” first grade teacher Jennifer Dowdy said.
Dowdy said she hadn’t received much feedback on the balloon launch that they’ve done in the past and thought maybe it was because it wasn’t very environmentally friendly.
So she began to search on Pinterest for another idea when she came across a school that had done this project.
Dowdy said she began researching items that military personnel and their families would need.
The entire school was involved in bringing in the items. First graders were in charge of sorting, counting and packing the care packages.
First grade teachers C’Anne Smalley and Debra Rickner and aid Rayna Gaines helped organize this year’s project.
Dowdy said they will be donating the care packages and whatever items they have left to the Oklahoma City Military Entrance Processing Station.
Dowdy said she’s hoping for a new tradition.