December may have been a short month, but there was no shortage of holiday spirit as Burlington staff and students of all ages spent the weeks leading up to winter break giving back to their community.
Here’s a round-up of some of the things our Grayhounds were up to last month.
Burlington High School
Student Council members gathered in the cafeteria after school on Dec. 10 to decorate holiday cards to be distributed to residents of local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They delivered the cards the following Sunday while carolling.
The Student Council also participated in the Angel Tree Project, purchasing and wrapping gifts for two teens and two children under the age of 4, and Bring Change 2 Mind members handed out holiday cards and candy canes to hospice patients and their families.
Minority Scholars also purchased gifts for a family and hosted a holiday party complete with cookie decorating for students and their families just ahead of Christmas Eve.
The BHS DECA chapter, meanwhile, spent a morning at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium to help set up ahead of the Toys for Tots distribution day.
National Honor Society made homeless shelter winter kits. Each hat contained a scarf, hat, fruit snacks, toothbrush, poncho, blanket, hand sanitizer, lotion, socks and hand warmers. NHS also teamed up with Varsity Club to gift wrap presents for community members.
Students in the Extended Learning Program spread cheer among their peers by hosting a holiday party complete with cookie decorating and games, and Karen Leichty’s class held a donation drive for Camp Courageous.
Edward Stone Middle School
Edward Stone students hosted a food drive to help those in need. The school also has been continuing its Soapy Paws Laundry Drive and is well on its way to reaching a goal of 1,000 donated detergent items by the end of the school year.
Aldo Leopold Intermediate School
More than 100 Aldo Leopold Intermediate School students in Girls Group delivered items collected via their first community outreach project of the year to the Des Moines County Humane Society. After delivering the items, they got to take a tour of the facility and volunteer in the cat room.
Elementaries
Black Hawk Student Council sold candy canes and water bottle stickers to raise money to adopt a family for Christmas. They then went shopping for members of their adopted family.
“When we went to check out, each group was so excited to show each other what they picked out for ‘their kid,’ and kept asking if they stayed in their budget,” student council advisor and fourth grade teacher Julie Russell said.
At Sunnyside, Student Leadership Team members spent time with younger students for rewards and crafts. The team also asked all students to make holiday cards to be distributed to area nursing homes.
North Hill’s Student Leadership Team held a food drive and delivered donated items to the City Hope food pantry, and Grimes held a food drive for the Lend a Paw Pantry.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and staff once again went above and beyond to spread holiday cheer among students.
