ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512100010
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, fifth-graders at Westside Elementary School in Roanoke participated in a food-for-thought marathon, an effort designed to combine education and Christmas charity.
Fifth-grader Leah Williams spent Friday converting thoughts into food for needy people.
By recording her thoughts in a neat, ledger-style book, she earned the right to collect dozens of cans of fruits, vegetables and other food for distribution to families before Christmas.
For the entire day at Westside Elementary School in Roanoke, Leah wrote in her journal about her brother, grandparents, pets, homework and other topics.
Ten-year-old Leah had 31 sponsors who donated canned food for each page that she wrote. They included her mother, father, aunt, uncle, bus driver and several of her mother's co-workers. Some contributed one can of food for each page; others donated a can for each two or five pages.
By 11 a.m., Leah had written 13 pages and showed no signs of tiring. She loved it.
"I can express my thoughts," she said. "I can say things that I can't say in talking to people."
Now she will take her journal to her sponsors, show them what she has written and collect the food.
Leah and 25 other fifth-graders in teacher Karen Bolton's class conducted a unique food-for-thought marathon, which combined education and Christmas charity.
Bolton hit on the idea in brainstorming with Westside Principal Sharon Richardson on ways for raising food for disadvantaged families. The school has a food drive each Christmas. Some children bring food; others collect money to buy food.
Bolton wanted to do something that was different and involved school activities. An elementary teacher for nearly 20 years, she always has had a daily period of 15 minutes when her pupils can write in their journals. She plays background music during journal time: Some days it's Mozart and the next day it might be the Beatles.
"The children love to write. They all keep a journal, and none of them ever complains about it," she said. "They do well for their age."
Beginning this year, Westside initiated a journal time for all classes in all grades, a development that thrilled Bolton.
Bolton said her students liked the idea of writing in their journals to help collect Christmas food.
"It was their idea to write all day so they could collect more food," she said. "The kids feel good about doing something for others during the holiday season."
By noon, Andrea Cuzmar, 10, had written a dozen pages about her pets, friends and other topics.
"I think it was a good idea. I see things in my head, and then I write about them," Andrea said.
Bolton lets the children read their daily journals to each other or the entire class if they choose, but she never requires it. She doesn't grade the journals or read them unless a pupil requests it.
"I feel like it is a private thing for them. It is a place where they don't have to get bogged down in grammar or other things. They can just express themselves," she said.
Bolton said her children do plenty of other writing in English class in which they are graded and checked on grammar, spelling and style.
Some of the children bought new composition books and journals for Friday's marathon. They could write on more than 50 topics: parents, brothers, sisters, friends, videos, movies, music, sports, homework, rock bands, colors and dozens of others.
Derrick Hankins, 9, said his mother was going to donate one can of food for each two pages he wrote. His father also had agreed to make a donation.
"It is fun. I like to write every day," Derrick said. His favorite topic is his friends. He was writing in a composition book with a picture of a yellow car on the cover. He already has filled one book this school year.
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