RJ Stangherlin

This site is for Mrs. Stangherlin's classes at Salisbury High School.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Gift of Giving

Students rushed to class. You should have seen the calculations--figuring short and long-term percentages. Discussions about negative numbers and positive points. Strategy sessions on what to put in and when and how to hold back on investing. Conflict resolution skills abounded in the debate of how to maximize coin and dollar values. Who to sabotage--who to support? Getting into a solid competition without playing sports. It was fun, it made sense, and it was for a good cause. It was Penny Wars, and all the English classes competed to see which section in each teacher’s class would win.
All fundraisers work for a common goal, but none of them created more positive and sustained energy day after day than Penny Wars. Students made some incredible sacrifices, too. One girl dragged in her penny collection that she had accumulated since she was 3. A sixth period student got permission to go to his car, dipping into his pay check to the tune of $14 to offset Period 8. After school on the last day of the contest, classes came back to add more money, and all day today the only question on students’ minds was who won.

And that answer is so fundamental (and millennial). Everyone won. Those who gave felt so good about doing good. Everyone understood the cause and everyone gave something. At this time of year, when wish lists and wanting are in the air, it was refreshing and rewarding to watch students give so others less fortunate could receive.