Bayfield Primary School’s annual food drive is now complete, and more than 2,000 food items were generously donated by students, families, and local community members. This year’s effort was a true blessing to the families who utilize the resources made available to community members through Pine River Shares.
Each class that collects 100 items or more will receive a hot chocolate party, and nearly half of the classes were already qualified for the reward with more than a week to go. The school eventually received over 2,000 donations of non-perishable food items that were collected from students across all grade levels. The drive, which encourages students to bring in food to support local families in need, has seen remarkable participation from every class.
Here’s a breakdown of the donations by class:
- Shea: 350 items
- Owens: 300 items
- Talbot: 210 items
- Peak: 198 items
- Scherar: 165 items
- Patana: 142 items
- Bauer: 130 items
- Daigle: 127 items
- Ferrell: 117 items
- Perkz: 100 items
- Goldman: 100 items
- Heide: 100 items
“We love watching students learn about giving to those in need, and this year’s food drive has truly brought out the generosity of our students, their families and our community,” said Savannah Baird, Dean of Students at Bayfield Primary School.
In line with the holiday spirit, Bayfield Primary School has chosen kindness as its value of focus for the month of December, and throughout the month, the school has emphasized the importance of being helpful toward others and showing care in our actions. Students are encouraged to include everyone, offer support when needed, and be considerate of others' feelings.
“Small acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day and help create a stronger sense of community,” said School Counselor Tori Telep. “We are excited to spread kindness throughout our school and our community this month. Whether it’s a kind word, a simple gesture, or a helping hand, these actions can make a big difference in someone’s life.”
The students have had some great examples of kindness and generosity in the community, as several Bayfield community organizations have come forward to support Bayfield Primary School during this holiday season. The school has received snow gear, meals, bikes, and other essential items from community partners to help students and families in need.
“We want to thank some wonderful Bayfield community partners for their help during this holiday season,” Baird said. “We’d like to thank the Bayfield Lions Club, Mr. Don DeWitt and Grace Church for their generous support and gifts for Bayfield School District families. We also want to give a big shout out to Mike and Theresa Hill and the members of the Bayfield Senior Center for decorating our school for the holidays.”
Baird reported that the Senior Center also donated a lot of holiday craft items to teachers and students at BPS, and she indicated that the school’s effort to shine a light on kindness during the holiday season has been buoyed by some anonymous donations as well.
“We are so fortunate to live in this wonderfully caring and generous community,” she said.
The annual food drive at Bayfield Primary School ran through December 12, and classrooms worked towards their classroom goals with a focus on making the holiday season brighter for those in need.