WB_012320

14 | January 23, 2020 | The wilmette beacon School
wilmettebeacondaily.com
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 5 days ago
Avoca West students trade holiday party for charity event
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
Avoca West students
care about others.
Their concern was evident
when they chose to
support a special event for
children living in Chicago
area homeless shelters and
in foster care facilities instead
of having a winter
party.
Students along with
Avoca West staff partnered
with a nonprofit organization,
Fill a Heart for Kids,
to provide supplies and
other things to help make
homeless youth and foster
children feel loved and
valued.
“Our organization facilitates
more than 375
similar events each year,
20 percent of which occurs
in schools,” said Annie
McAveeney, a representative
for Fill A Heart
for Kids. “This event also
provided an opportunity
for Avoca West students
to look beyond themselves
and into the lives of children
the same age who do
not have the same opportunities
and advantages.”
The students visited
three different stations
during the event.
They filled care packages
at one location with
socks, lotion, lip balm, hot
cocoa and mugs.
At another, students
made greeting cards.
Students then created
candy signs at a third.
“The wonderful gifts
provided by Avoca were
distributed to homeless
youth and foster children
during holiday parties,”
McAveeney said. “The
candy signs were loaded
up with treats and hung at
sites for homeless youth
where they worked with
teachers on homework and
Alex Gryzmala, of Wilmette. third-grade student and
part of the Yellow Color Crew, holds a care package.
goal setting.”
Having an event in lieu
of a winter party at first
brought disappointment to
some Avoca students but
won them over to the idea
when they realized their
efforts would brighten the
day of some children who
have very little compared
to Avoca West students.
“I hope this event brightened
the day of those children
who have so little and
make them aware they are
cared about, loved and valued,”
Northfield student
Mikail Ozkaymak said.
They even had another
purpose.
“Inviting an organization
like Fill a Heart for
Kids to Avoca West aligns
with the district’s focus
on social-emotional learning,”
said Jenna Freeman,
an Avoca West fourthgrade
teacher. “The staff
works with students on
SEL standards, designed
to improve engagement,
social awareness and relationship
skills.
In addition to inviting
the organization, the staff
and students worked on
the SEL standards through
the use of the Color Crew
initiative during the event.
With the Color Crew
initiative, students and
staff from different grade
levels and departments
are grouped by color and
given specific tasks and
projects in order to provide
connection with peers and
colleagues outside of their
usual day-to-day interactions.
Color Crews meet
monthly during the school
year and receive projects
that align to the values of
creativity, collaboration,
compassion, communication
and critical thinking.
“It was amazing to see
students, parents and staff
working together to make
the event come to life,”
Freeman added. “There is
always a learning curve
when you start something
new but everyone jumped
in to help out in any way
they could. At the end of
the day, I was blown away
by the support and eagerness
to help.”
Students (left to right) Nora Witting, of Wilmette, Alice Collins, of Northfield, Judith
Elesh, of Northfield, and Audrey Kiley, of Wilmette, create signs to be site for
homeless youth by Fill a Heart for Kids. Photos Submitted
Students (left to right) Kaya Cravens, of Northfield, Olivia Kinney, of Glenview, and
Sara Dacic, of Wilmette, fill bag with hot cocoa as part of a care package which were
distributed to homeless youth of foster children through Fill a Heart for Kids.