Fourth grader Felix Diclo sets out rolls, donated by Calise Bakery, for the Empty Bowls event. Whole Foods, United Natural Foods, and Dew Claw Studios also contributed to the event.
PCS students and teachers gave others, both near and far, a reason to be thankful in November by participating in a range of programs to help those in need.
Under the direction of Kelly Barr, fourth graders orchestrated Empty Bowls, a fundraising event benefiting the RI Food Bank, as part of an integrated curriculum unit on community work. For this annual project, students create ceramic bowls and invite guests to share soup and bread; guests are invited to take a bowl home in exchange for their contribution as a reminder of the empty bowls in the world. This year’s event raised a record $1,500.
When Hurricane Sandy raged against the East Coast, Rhode Island was battered, but the damage paled in comparison with the devastation in New York and New Jersey. PCS launched a clothing and food drive to help those who had lost everything and were now huddled in shelters as the winter weather moved in. Fifth grade teacher Kate Conley collected boxes filled with food, clothes, baby items, personal items, and pet supplies, as well as large bags of blankets and towels.
In yet another project, middle school students, under the direction of Lieutenant Victoria Tolbert-Bravo, collected soap, hand sanitizer, air fresheners, candy, and snacks to send to servicemen and servicewomen deployed in Afghanistan. The soldiers’ morale got a boost from notes sent by seventh and eighth graders.