First graders collect hundreds of items for local food bank
Lena Whitmore Elementary students were rewarded with their principal joining in on their pajama party Friday
The principal of Lena Whitmore Elementary in Moscow lost a bet.
The school’s first graders recently organized a food drive to donate items to the Moscow Food Bank.
“Our original goal was 100 items per class and then they surpassed that,” said their teacher, Jayne Wang.
First grader Adelynn Meenan had higher aspirations. She thought her classmates could collect 400 food items. So, she decided to raise the stakes for Principal Kendra McMillan.
“If we got 400 food items, she had to wear her pajamas to school,” Meenan said.
McMillan accepted the bet and, as of Friday, the first graders collected a little more than 800 items for the food bank.
Wang’s first grade class held a pajama party Friday, just before the winter break. There to celebrate with them was McMillan, who showed up to work in her sweats and slippers for the first time in the principal’s 20-year career.
“I like them,” Meenan said of her principal’s jammies.
McMillan did not seem to mind either.
“It’s very comfy,” she said.
Wang said the collection started while the students were learning about service and how to give back to the community. She gave them ideas on what they could do to serve Moscow, and they voted in favor of a food drive.
They made a video advertisement, created posters and urged their parents, grandparents and the school staff to donate food.
McMillan said the donations were “amazingly generous.”
“We have great kids and great parents — so much community support — that we’re very thankful,” she said.
McMillan also said the fourth grade class, led by teachers Tiffany Mayes and Lindsey Lee, embarked on a community service project of their own by collecting books and selling them to raise money for Christmas for Kids. McMillan said they raised $150 as of last week.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
