School news you’ll love: Hawthorne, Laura B. Anderson, R.F. Pettigrew, Rosa Parks

Amazing things happen in our schools every day — if you know where to look! Do you know some school news others would love? Let us know at [email protected].

In their own words

Last week was National School Counseling Week, and the students at Hawthorne Elementary gave us a powerful look at what counselors can mean to kids.

Here’s a glimpse at their messages to their counselors. We know they speak for many!

Big gift

Students at Laura B. Anderson Elementary had a memorable day last week, thanks to a lot of community support.

Every student at the elementary school received a free pair of shoes and a “hope tote” from Samaritan’s Feet and Sioux Falls Thrive.

It’s the first time Samaritan’s Feet has been able to give away shoes to a whole school. It was made possible through a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service grant from AmeriCorps.

The hope totes started during the pandemic as a way for Samaritan’s Feet to continue its mission in a new way. These included a new pair of athletic shoes, socks, hygiene kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, comb, alcohol wipe, mask and washcloth, and a “Hope Note” with an encouraging message submitted online from Samaritan’s Feet supporters.

“The kids were overjoyed with this gift,” the school said in a Facebook post.

Nearly 500 pairs of shoes and totes were given away, including some for the shoe locker at Kid Link Riverside, an initiative for Sioux Falls Thrive, as well as to the students at Kidz Count, a partnership between Wesley Neighborhood Outreach and Volunteers of America, Dakotas.

Saying thanks

Saying thank you to health care workers became a schoolwide event at R.F. Pettigrew Elementary.

Great artwork and even better enthusiasm, kids! Enjoy.

Staff appreciation at ‘Central Perk’

You won’t find better “friends” than school staff, so kudos to the PTO at Rosa Parks Elementary for a fabulous themed staff appreciation week.

They turned the workroom into “Central Perk” for a week, complete with treats, lunch and plenty of “Friends”-themed shout-outs.

Here’s a peek inside the goodie bags:

As they called it, it’s “The One Where We Are So Grateful For You.”

“Rosa Parks is truly blessed with the best,” the PTO said. “It was a fun week showing how much we appreciate each and every staff member at Rosa! We are so thankful and couldn’t be any more appreciative of what they do for our kids each and every day!”

Do you know some school news others would love? Let us know at [email protected].