SDSA shows off some school spirit

By Sam Harvey
Staff Reporter

	Coastal Point • SAM HARVEY Lauren Grise and some of her fourth-grade students show off some spirit.

“Yesterday (Dec. 14), the kids wore colors to support their charities of choice,” Grise noted. Some wore pink, for breast cancer awareness, others wore camouflage, to indicate support for U.S. military personnel.

Many wore yellow — which could go either way, cancer or military, but Grise suggested many fourth-graders were probably supporting cancer awareness.

They had several classmates with family members affected — in fact, the younger brother of one of Grise’s students was undergoing cancer treatment that very day, she pointed out. And the loss of one of SDSA’s paraprofessionals earlier this year was probably on their minds, she said.

Diagnosed with brain cancer earlier in the year, David Pepper passed away in late September. SDSA staff remembered him as a radiant personality — ready smile and a good heart. They lamented a “great loss” for the school.

However, Grise said the students actually focused specifically on Alzheimer’s disease this year, and she commended them for especial insight. “Some of their essays made more sense than what adults would have said,” Grise stated.

There was a can drive on Dec. 13 to support local food pantries, and she said they’d gathered about 500 items. Additionally, Grise said the honor society had put together some angel ornaments and, again this year, the school had adopted some less-well-off families — in-house.

Grise said the SDSA had worked with outside organizations like Toys for Tots for about six years now, but last year decided to adopt local families instead. They’d get something under the tree for 15 local children this year, she said.

“The back room looks like a toy shop,” Grise smiled. On a more serious note, she said one of the families had been on the giving end this year, but due to a change in financial circumstances, would be a recipient this year.

On Dec. 15, students were asked to “Dress down, to lift someone up.”

	Coastal Point • SAM HARVEY From left, Mackenzie Reed, Cassia Steck and Danielle Niethammer show off their spirit.

No, they really, really dressed down — bathrobes and bedroom slippers appeared to be the height of fashion that day.

Grise prompted her wards to find something nice to say about their peers, write the well-wishes on colored slips of paper and weave them into a red and green chain. By the end of the day, it stretched all around the classroom — enough kind thoughts to haul someone up from a great depth indeed.

Kindness, charity and compassion plus a few reminders to be grateful for what we have — sounds like a great recipe for anyone in need of a little perspective as we head into the holidays.