Memorial Giving Back to Community

valpo-community-schoolsWritten by Aaron Case, Principal

At the beginning of a new year, people do a lot of reflecting and take time to mark down the highlights of the previous year. It gives us time to see what we can do to make things better.

Schools do the same every year. One of the things that Memorial Elementary School has been reflecting on is its long-standing tradition of giving back to the community. Each December, Valparaiso Community Schools helps families in need by developing a Christmas Angel list in which individuals, families or classrooms "adopt" a student to buy supplies or gifts for during the holiday season. Year after year, I have been impressed by the generosity of our Memorial neighborhood.

As this year's list came out, there were not enough names for every class. In response, our teachers contacted a local church to connect with other families so our students could have the opportunity to share in the joy of giving to others.

In addition to the giving of gifts during this time, Memorial also goes a step further. During the middle of December, the student council at Memorial holds what is called a Dime Line. The Dime Line consists of students bringing in loose change in a contest to see which class can collect the most during one week's time. This money is then given to families in the Memorial neighborhood. This longtime tradition rooted in the joy of giving was started by former Principal Leo Joint.

Like most principals, Joint had a deep passion for the students and families who lived in his school's neighborhood. In order to be the best principal possible, you have to develop and cultivate relationships with your students and families. When he did, he saw that there was a need, especially during the holiday season, for just a little something more. So his goal was to make a small difference by having Memorial Elementary School give back to families during this time. This way, they would know that they were part of Memorial's family.

When Joint moved on, this practice of having a Dime Line continued. It has been more than 30 years since the Dime Line's inception, and the tradition continues. To this day, students are proud to give to the Dime Line, and it is always emphasized that the money raised goes back to our neighborhood to make the holidays just a little brighter.

Joint has left a lasting impression on the importance of giving back. Joint would stop by every December to drop off a jar containing loose change. Contributions still have been given in memory of Leo Joint, continuing the outreach of Memorial's Dime Line. This year alone, Memorial was able to help families to the tune of $1,500 raised through loose change and generous donations.

Traditions like the Dime Line and giving back to neighborhood families allows Memorial to continue to be great. Please take a minute to reflect on what you have done to help someone lately. Memorial Elementary would like to wish all of you a happy new year.