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Wahoo Middle School Students Demonstrate "Cool to Care" Attitude

School-wide Service Project Gathers School Supplies for Impoverished Foreign Countries

by WMS Social Studies Instructor John Harris on October 03, 2008

Wahoo Middle School students present the school supplies and money they raised to representatives of Lutheran World Relief. From left to right: Josiah Jorgensen, Shane Nixon, Darian Coffey (kneeling), Bailee Schubauer, Kyle Wobker, Helen Hansen, Shandi Rawlin, Mary McKay and Patrick Hancock.

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Wahoo Middle School students present the school supplies and money they raised to representatives of Lutheran World Relief. From left to right: Josiah Jorgensen, Shane Nixon, Darian Coffey (kneeling), Bailee Schubauer, Kyle Wobker, Helen Hansen, Shandi Rawlin, Mary McKay and Patrick Hancock.

On Wednesday, October 1, Wahoo Middle School students met in an assembly to celebrate the results of their first school-wide service project of the 2008-2009 school year. 

In a little less than two weeks, the students joined the effort of Lutheran World Relief and raised over seventy pounds of school supplies to be given to students in impoverished nations such as Mali and Tanzania, Africa. 

“I was glad to see that our school supplies will be helping kids around the world, kids who need these things more than we do,” offered 8th grader Colby Oppelt. 

In addition, the students pooled their resources and raised over $100 to ensure that the postage could be paid on the packages of school supplies. 

Payten Foster said, “It was neat that our school pulled together and showed their leadership by raising so many supplies.”

Grade levels competed against one another to see who could raise the most school supplies by weight. The 8th graders won that contest. Next, each middle school student and staff member was encouraged to enter a $1 raffle contest. The winning names, drawn by WMS Principal Jason Libal, faced off in a sumo wrestling contest. Contestants wore inflatable sumo costumes and the student/teacher matches took place at the assembly.

Sumo wrestlers Becky Stark and Alex Talbott square off to celebrate a successful school service project.

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Sumo wrestlers Becky Stark and Alex Talbott square off to celebrate a successful school service project.

Student winners were Evann Vrana and Alex Talbott.  Staff winners were Wahoo Public Schools Media Specialist Dave Privett and 8th grade English Teacher Becky Stark.

Special guests Mrs. Helen Hansen and Mary McKay were on hand at the assembly as representatives of Lutheran World Relief. Both shared information about the worldwide project and thanked the students for their generosity.