"Doing the Right Thing"

Mr. Steve Lamp with the Penny Drive check.

“Doing the right thing” is part of Lakeside Middle School’s touchstone. This year, the student body participated in service projects to give back to their community. By helping others in need, the students demonstrated “doing the right thing.”

One of these projects was a Food Drive to benefit the Tum Tum Food Bank. This Food Drive was sponsored by the ASB and started very slowly. At a meeting, ASB Advisor Mr. Todd Clark, asked the officers and classroom representatives to brainstorm ways to encourage their classmates to become excited about this community service project. This resulted in a variety of “challenges” between classes; food began to pour into the school, lining all the hallways. In the end, 1,221 pounds of food were donated by the middle school students and their families to the Tum Tum Food Bank!

For a decade, sixth graders at Lakeside Middle School have proved just how far spare change can go to make a difference through an annual Penny Drive. In each of the homerooms, a large plastic water jug was placed. Students collect as many pennies as possible for about a month, placing them in their “Penny Drive” jugs. On certain days, they may also deposit “silver and green.” At the end of the month, Mr. Steve Lamp (originator of the “Penny Drive”) took the jugs to the bank to be weighed and to be counted.

At the monthly Eagle Pride Assembly on December 19th, the Penny Drive results were announced. With much anticipation, Mr. Lamp reported what each classroom collected:
Mrs. Pipenger~$68.17;
Mr. Clark~$180.98;
Mrs. Hall~$188.17;
Mrs. Collyer~$193.42;
Mrs. Moffatt~$194.10; and
Mr. Lamp~$285.22!
This equaled over $1100, which is the most money ever raised by a Sixth Grade Penny Drive! These funds were also donated to the Tum Tum Food Bank.

Through these two projects, Lakeside Middle School students learned valuable lessons in community service. By working together, each giving what he/she could (a can of food or pennies), they gave a sizable donation to the Tum Tum Food Bank. These students know how to do the right thing.