News
First graders assist St. Andrew's
Scott Wagar
01/21/2014
When it comes to entrepreneurship, Codi Rybchinski has taught her first grade class the art of production in a non-profit business which assists parents with their new born babies.
“Last year I was visiting with Kim Bernstein about doing a community service project for my first grade students, and she immediately got on the ball and started suggesting ideas. She had suggested making tie blankets and donating them to St. Andrew’s Hospital Auxiliary to sell in the hospital gift counter. I thought it was a great idea and an appropriate project for our age group,” Rybchinski said.
“I wanted to teach the students about giving back to our community. Right now the gift counter is low on items for babies, and this is a great way to show our support to the hospital,” she continued.
The project is called the Caring Kids Project and Rybchinski’s goal is to teach the students how to be good citizens and that hard work can bring success.
“In the beginning the main focus is for the kids to learn about our community and how can they make a difference. Even at their age they can make a difference,” Rybchinski said. “The items sold in the Hospital Auxiliary Gift Counter are items that have been donated by members and non-members. The money raised all goes back into the hospital. The end goal is to show the students that the work they have done has raised funds to be able to purchase a specific item for the hospital.”
The students assisted in making fleece tie blankets with Bernstein and Rybchincki. Bernstein pre-cut and pinned the blankets, Rybchinki cut the strips and her students tied them together into blankets. Overall, the group made 14 blankets which will now be given to St. Andrew’s to sell in their gift counter which is located in the front lobby of St. Andrew’s.
“Making the blankets really helped in the area of teaching team work, because four students worked on a blanket together. I saw a lot of positive comments, and I saw the stronger kids that know how to tie a knot helping the ones that needed a little more help,” Rybchinski said.
“We worked on these quilts the week before Christmas break and my focus on the week was about giving considering it was so close to Christmas. The weather was also bitterly cold, therefore we had recess inside and it was an activity for my students to do during our inside recess.”
With baby blankets at St. Andrew’s, the students are excited to see how their blankets are going to sell and what piece of equipment their money will purchase for the hospital.
Overall, Rybchinski was pleased with how her students did in the project.
“I wanted the students to learn how to use a talent they have, and that their talent turned into beautiful baby blankets. I wanted them to also learn about teamwork and communication during a project, and also to give back to our community.
The goal was completed and I think in the end when they see that what they made did make a difference, and that they can do anything to help out, even at their age,” Rybchinski said.
“I was so proud of my first graders. I wanted to teach them about life long skills; but they, in the end, taught me. I was wondering if this was something a six year old or seven year old could do, and they did it. A few of my girls had made tie blankets before, and they were my little teachers as well. It was just a very memorable moment for me and my students and we are so happy we found a project that fit perfectly.”