District 57 students take on multiple charitable efforts for holidays

Editor's note: Around the holidays, almost all schools encourage students to participate in the giving of the season as a way to teach caring and civic responsibility. Here's a look at how students in one small school district stepped up.

For the past few weeks, the four schools of Mount Prospect School District 57 have been participating in many projects to help those in need.

"Our students, families and staff have really made a difference in the community this holiday season," says Elaine Aumiller, superintendent of schools. "And the efforts have been valuable learning experiences for the students, as they become more aware of the needs of the community around them. They are learning that good things result when you work to help others."

Here are some examples of the activities that have taken place at the schools during the holiday season:

• Families from Fairview Elementary, Lions Park Elementary and Westbrook School for Young Learners purchased hundreds of gifts for school families in need. At Fairview, peer mediators and student council officers helped assemble a Giving Tree that was placed in the foyer to promote the program.

• Lions Park students donated more than 400 unwrapped toys and hand-delivered them to members of the Mount Prospect Fire Department at school last week.

• Lincoln Middle School Student Council sponsored a food drive in partnership with the fire department, collecting more than 2,300 nonperishable items. Students helped load the food onto fire trucks right before Thanksgiving.

• Fairview's Global Team, which is made up of teachers, planned a food drive that took place during the winter concerts. The team distributed bags that families filled with nonperishable items. Fifth-graders helped pack up the donations, which filled three vans.

• Lions Park Student Council held an ornament sale after its winter concerts and throughout last week, with proceeds used to purchase grocery gift cards for the Mount Prospect Food Pantry. Families and staff donated and shopped for gently used ornaments.

• Westbrook families and staff donated 121 coats and three bags full of hats, gloves and mittens to Mount Prospect's Food Pantry and Financial Assistance Program, which helps area families who are struggling with financial hardship.

• Night of Hoops, a fundraiser for the Wheeling Township Food Pantry, featured the Lincoln vs. South boys basketball games at Prospect High School. Many students and families turned out to watch the games and the event raised $1,400.

• The Lincoln Poms Squad made cozy blankets to donate to Lurie Children's Hospital's Blanket Brigade project.

• The Lions Park Chorus performed at Luther Village, bringing a smile to residents' faces.

• Fairview's Make a Difference Club held a gently-used book drive for children in need.

District 57 serves nearly 2,200 prekindergarten through eighth-grade students, preparing them to learn and succeed in a changing world.