Students at Glenhope Elementary have rallied together to support victims of the California wildfires, collecting $1,025 during a two-week coin drive that concluded Wednesday, February 12.
The collection began when fifth graders Emme Davis, John Marshall Corgan and Caleb Kinard approached their teacher, Christina Hayes, with the idea of helping those affected. Wanting to take the effort schoolwide, the students asked if they could present their idea to the principal. Hayes encouraged them to first create a detailed plan, which ultimately included posters to place around campus, designated collection areas, and an incentive: extra recess time for the grade level that raised the most money.
“We added the extra recess time as a way to motivate everyone,” Davis explained.
Once the plan was approved, the school’s student council joined in, volunteering to help count the coins after school each day. To keep track of their progress, Corgan created a spreadsheet to log daily totals and a poster of a bucket in the school’s main hallway is colored in each afternoon to visually represent their growing donations.
“I think the whole school coming together is really nice,” Corgan remarked. “At first, I thought only a few people would donate, but it turned out to be way more. We’ve raised more money than I ever imagined.”
Beyond the financial support for wildfire victims, Hayes sees the project as a valuable lesson in both math and compassion.
“Even though the students are competing, they share a common goal of helping people and animals in need,” she said. “This experience is teaching them to think beyond themselves, and it’s also creating a stronger sense of community within our school.”