PJ's and Chores Send Ghanaian Child to School

Five hundred fifteen dollars and five cents, that was the amount of money the Cedar Hill Elementary School collected Friday, for its Ghana Project.

"This is enough money for a child in Ghana to be supplied with clothes, food, education, and a place to stay for a year," said kindergarten teacher, Cathy Lundquist, advisor to the Cedar Hill's Character Education Committee (Char Ed Committee).

"The students loved it," said school nurse, Bonnie DiCola. "They had to earn a dollar to donate a dollar." The initiative was called: Change for Chores.

"The children were not allowed to ask their parents for money," explained Lundquist.  "Students had to do a chore at home for a dollar or two. They then used that money to pay to participate in Pajama Day."

For the second year in a row, Cedar Hill School has reached beyond its doors, and outside of the country to send assistance to students in the African country of Ghana. Working with the non-profit organization, Pagus, Cedar Hill has established a sister school relationship in Africa.

Principal Dr. Michael Raj said, "With our sister school in Ghana, it's a great opportunity for us to realize that charity can a make a difference in the world, and that there are students in need."

Last year Cedar Hill established the Character Education Committee, a group of four 5th grade students who organize awareness campaigns, hold supply drives, and raise funds, for students in Ghana.

"We asked ourselves, 'What if Cedar Hill could make a difference in the world,'" Lundquist explained. "And, then we brainstormed how to do that."

Kyle Cooney, Kelly Dodgson, Matt Fall, and Katie Wright, serve on the 2010/2011 Char Ed Committee. Giving up lunch hours, and reaching out to staff and students. The four are enthusiastic about the Ghana Project.

"This is a student run program," emphasized Lundquist. "The students make the decisions. They decided that raising $450 would be better than $350, because, for only $100 dollars more, a student in Ghana can live and eat at the school, in an environment better suited for studying."

Cedar Hill students have also participated in a Pagus assembly, learning about students in Ghana and how their studies and experiences are both the same and different.

"They learn in outdoor classrooms under a hay roof," said Lundquist. "They have no shoes, no toys or balls, and barely any clothing. But they did make their own instruments, and they make music and sing to each other.

"So out of nothing, they make something," she added.

Dodgson and Wright explained that earlier this year Cedar Hill collected T-shirts, pencils, Band-Aids, videos, and stickers, which they sent to the student s in Ghana.

"Our staff has also agreed to be filmed," said Lundquist. "Through video they will share their 'Best Practice' in the classroom techniques. The videos, along with teaching materials, will be sent to the school."

"An exchange of our 'Best Practice' ideas for instruction will allow them to see what we've done here, and what we find works well in the classroom. Then they can translate that into their curriculum," said Dr. Raj.

Cedar Hill students are also pen pals with the Ghana students.

"We need to get back to writing," said Wright, about her pen pal.