Second grade is a wonderful time to learn about "community". As we explore our Kokomo community we also reach out and try to make a difference in the lives of those we live among. Below are a few programs our second grade students participate in throughout the year. We challenge you to find a way for your classroom to give back to your community. If we teach a young child to make a difference, think of how manylives will be touched as they grow into adulthood.

We Care Trim- A -Tree Festival

WE CARE is a volunteer organization. The funds they raise are distributed to local organizations that provide assistance to the disadvantaged, less fortunate and the mentally and physically challenged within our community. The funds raised by WE CARE are shared among five organizations ; the Kokomo Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army, the Kokomo Tribune sponsored Goodfellows, Bona Vista Rehabilitative Services, the Mental Health America of Howard County's Holiday Gift Lift program, and the WE CARE Hope Fund for long-term gifting. These organizations provide assistance in the form of food, toys, and clothing for the less fortunate during the Christmas holiday.

The Trim-A-Tree Festival provides an opportunity for businesses, groups, and local organizations to raise money for We Care.  Each group is assigned a Christmas tree or wreath to decorate.  An individual theme is chosen by each organization and the tree / wreath is decorated accordingly.  The trees / wreaths are displayed in the Kokomo Mall for two weeks.  People in the community have an opportunity to vote for the “People’s Choice” by dropping coins in a bucket that are placed at the base of each tree / wreath.  At the end of two weeks a grand auction is held.  The mall is packed with people from the community who have come to bid on a Christmas tree or wreath. 

Each year we pick a theme and our second grade students make the ornaments to decorate our tree. The students raise the money for us to bid on our tree by doing extra chores around the house and then donate their allowance. Many of the students and their families attend the auction. Our art teacher designs an oversized check for our students to hold up at the auction as they shout out their bid. Once we have bought the tree (who is really going to bid against a group of 8 year olds) we bring it back to Northwestern Elementary School and put it on display in the front hallway. Each child takes their ornament home to hang on their own family Christmas tree as a reminder of the contribution they made to those in need. Below are the themes, ornaments, and total dollars raised over the years.

2003 - "We CAN Make A Difference" - $500.00

2004 - "Peace By Piece" - $1,178.54

2005 - "Spice Up Your Holiday" - $1,266.49

2006 - "Angels Aware" - $1,454.57

2007 - "Let Your Light Shine This Christmas" - $1,262.51

2008 - "Helping Hands, Happy Hearts" - $1,200.95

2009 Reflections of Love

Christmas Gift Collection

Family Service Association is a local organization that provides a variety of programs for families and women.  They may provide Family Educators, Attendant Care, programs for “at risk” expectant mothers, and community education programs on the signs of child abuse.  Family Service Association also provides a shelter for women and children of domestic violence.   

Many of our teachers at NES volunteer their time by tutoring the children at the Domestic Violence Shelter.  Through this activity, and by working with the caring women who run the shelter, we identified a need.  Unfortunately, the holidays are a very difficult time for many families.  Domestic violence is often at it highest during this time.  Therefore, the number of women and children using the services of the shelter during Christmas is usually very high.

We have a delicate discussion with our second grade students about people in our community who need assistance during the holidays.  The children have just completed the WE CARE Trim-A-Tree Festival and are feeling pretty good about the money they raised.  They are hungry for another opportunity to help the people of Kokomo.  We talk about the many blessings we have been given in our lives and what a wonderful idea it would be to share those blessings with others.  I then announce that instead of exchanging gifts with each other in the classroom and instead of buying Mrs. Dill a gift, that each person may bring in a new, unwrapped gift for a mother or child that will not be celebrating Christmas in their home this year.  We then set up and decorate a Christmas tree in our classroom that is soon surrounded with gifts for the women and children at the Domestic Violence Shelter. 

Letters to American Soldiers

During the month of February, during Literature Circles, our class reads the Mary Pope Osborne Magic Tree House novels Civil War on Sunday and Revolutionary War on Wednesday. Both novels lend themselves to many topics, one of them being the service and courage of the American soldier. I get names and addresses of soldiers currenty serving active duty from parents and people in the community. Then the children write

a letter to the soldiers thanking them for their bravery and sacrifice.