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December 19 2011
Four Sch'dy teachers are awarded funds from CAP
COM Cares
for community awareness projects
 Four
Schenectady teachers were awarded $250 each Monday morning from
the CAP COM Cares for Classrooms, a program designed to support
teachers by providing funds for much needed classroom supplies
and resources.
Natalie Arket and
Fallon Walton, teachers at Lincoln Elementary School and Sara
DiPietro and Colleen Belcher, teachers at Hamilton Elementary
School were recipients of $250 Visa gift cards to purchase
supplies and resources for their classrooms to support their
community building efforts.
 “Building
community awareness is one of the most important actions we can
do with children and teachers in our schools and classrooms
today,” said Walton on her application for the award. “It is
through building a community in the classroom that children are
better able to understand diversity, different cultures, and
appreciate/understand similarities and differences among each
other.”
Walton will use
the funds to purchase markers, poster board paper, raffle
tickets and ring pops for fundraising and t-shirts with the
school mascot to display school spirit. The materials will be
used to continue an awareness project that addresses bullying
and encourages positive behavior. “This year we made posters
and gave teachers different lessons on bullying and then had
them participate in a Mix-It-Up Day,” said Walton. The student
activities included sitting next to someone new at lunch, being
a bully buster and working with someone new within their
class. “Through all of these activities and fundraisers we are
helping to build awareness within Lincoln Elementary,” said
Walton.
Arket plans to
purchase clothing, shoes, coats, hats and gloves for the Pamper
A Patriot Program. Through the program, the school partners
local businesses to help clothe and feed local families. “While
participating in this program, they [the students] are able to
see what businesses in their community are available to them and
that their community can be a great resource for them,” said
Arket.
Both Belcher and
DiPietro will use the funds to purchase scissors and fleece
material so that their students can make blankets to give to
those in need including those in women’s shelters and the
homeless.
Belcher said she
would like her fourth graders to be a part of something “bigger
than themselves.” “Many of the students in our school have
benefited from the gift of receiving,” said Belcher. “I want to
help students reach out to the community and feel the gift of
giving.”
DiPietro said she
will discuss with her students the importance of helping those
less fortunate. “Many of my students are aware of others and
their needs,” she said. “I would like to take that further and
help them realize there are different ways they can help those
who are less fortunate.” DiPietro said that by making the no
sew fleece blankets, the students will not only be helping the
community but they will experience how rewarding giving can be.
“They will see first hand how their time and effort can impact
other when they deliver the blankets to different community
members and/or centers,” she said.
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