BRATTLEBORO — Upper Elementary students Solen Rosenberg and Eleanor Horton initiated this year's Community Toy Drive at Hilltop Montessori School. Building upon last year's inaugural project, which grew out of the passion to help children and their families who are unhoused (1)and/or experiencing economic hardship, the students expanded their drive this year to include more families within the community.
Rosenberg and Horton contacted early education programs and schools in Windham County. After they followed up with phone calls with directors, principals, and organizations, they were able to put together a list of children and their holiday wishes and needs.
The students created a Giving Tree in the front lobby where people could select a child for whom they would purchase specific items from their wish list. All together, they were able to make this holiday a little brighter for nearly 50 children ages 10 months to 14 years.
While Rosenberg and Horton organized the Giving Tree, they also planned and implemented their toy drive campaign at Hilltop Montessori School with the rest of the Upper Elementary Classroom. They created a flier for the newsletter and visited each class from Children's House (pre-k and kindergarten) to the Middle School to talk about the toy drive and distribute fliers .
The students worked together making posters and collecting donations of toys, books, games, and winter clothing at pick-up and drop-off prior to the final week before winter break. Students Dylan Shine, Reine Beckwith, and Annie Donahue were also instrumental in organizing the gifts for each child and delivering to area programs and schools during the winter break.