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Patricia "Miss Pat" Tindell, (r.) Director of the Phoenixville Area Children's Learning Center, accepts a donation from Miss Bonkoski's (l.) fourth-grade class at Schuylkill elementary. |
When Miss Beverly Bonkoski's fourth-graders read a story about a six-year-old boy who raised enough money to build a well with safe drinking water for his school in Africa, they thought long and hard about doing a project to benefit children locally.
They put their heads together, and what they came up with was a fundraiser to purchase new playground equipment for the little tikes of the Phoenixville Area Children's Learning Center!
Miss Bonkoski's kids have set their goal at an incredible $10,000!
The kids have made some sacrifices for their cause, giving up their snacks so they would be able to put the money into the Learning Center coffers. They've also collected loose change and donations from friends and family.
"You can buy something you can get every day or you can help kids," said fourth-grader Romesz Coleman. "It doesn’t just happen. You have to make it happen!”
Patricia "Miss Pat" Tindell, Executive Director of the Phoenixville Area Children's Learning Center, visited Miss Bonkoski's class, and was presented with a large container full of money for the playground.
“What amazes me more than anything else is that these children decided to do this project on their own,” said Ms. Tindell. “It wasn’t an adult telling them this is a project they have to do. They are determined and so motivated to do this.”
This is the second round of donations from Miss Bonkoski's class to the Children's Learning Center. In February, Jill Slawecki, who is both a teacher at the center and the vice-president of the Phoenixville Area School Board, visited the class, and was presented with $250.
As a way of thanking the students, Mrs. Slawecki gave each child in the class a hard hat, telling them they were all in the construction process together.
Miss Bonkoski was filled with pride as she watched her students present the money.
"I am incredibly proud of this class," she said. "If you give kids the power and the trust, look what they can do!"
"This project has engaged the students in Miss B’s class to develop their presentation skills, technology skills, artistic skills, persuasive skills, public speaking skills, writing skills and banking skills, among others," said Schuylkill Elementary School Assistant Principal Virginia Salava. "Students have made the connection of how the skills taught in school apply to the real world."
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