The spirit of volunteerism and charity has been enthusiastically embraced in the Leo F. Giblyn School as teacher Patricia Vollkommer and her third-grade students participate in the Junior League of Long Island's challenge to come up with one of the best ideas to help others this holiday season.
The impetus for this came from the office of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Wafa Westervelt, who sent an email informing school principals and their staff that the Junior League of Long Island is offering $100 in seed money to help the best ideas for promoting volunteerism get started. The contest is called "The Littlest Volunteers" and is based on the book of the same name written by Danielle Speckhart. The storybook encourages children to get active in helping others in the hopes that exposing children to volunteerism at an early age will encourage willingness to volunteer in the future.
The rules of the contest are simple. Students are required to write 10 sentences or fewer about what they would do with $100 to help get their volunteer project started. When Ms. Vollkommer suggested participation in the contest to her class, hands quickly shot up and ideas started to flow. The students have agreed that their goal is to build a donation box decorated to resemble a brick chimney for the front of school that will encourage people to donate toys for needy children. They plan to ask teachers, friends and family, local businesses and neighbors for contributions.
If Ms. Vollkommer's class project is selected, they will use the $100 contest winnings to buy the wood and other materials needed to construct their chimney toy-donation receptacle.