Ginther caring kids club celebrate a successful year

Last June, more than 550 "caring kids" marched from their school waiving handmade tissue paper flowers and cheering. They were celebrating something very important - another year of helping the community.

The Caring Kids Club, a tradition at the Brockport Ginther School for more than 10 years, teaches the kindergarten and first-graders important lessons about caring and how to give back to others through community service. Every Friday throughout the year, two students from each class were selected to participate in Caring Kids Club activities. Projects the students worked on this year included: making welcome bags filled with supplies and information for students who were new to the school; holiday tray favors for Lakeside Memorial Hospital; and colorful book marks that were given to children at area libraries.

Administrators and special guests led the students and staff in the parade to the high school. Once in the high school auditorium, the students were welcomed by the music of the high school band under the direction of Shawn Halquist. Greg Turner, Ginther music teacher, opened the ceremony to recognize all the volunteers who make the program a success. Dr. Robert Conrad, assistant superintendent of instruction and personnel, spoke to the students about how they are growing every day. "Grandma" Sadie Wilson, a volunteer with the program for two years, told students that she feels a little selfish coming to school so much. "I come because you (students) make me feel so good," said Wilson. Also honored was eighth-grader Shane Bartlett who began volunteering in seventh grade as part of a requirement for health class. He remembered the program when he was younger and liked working with the students so much, he came back on his own this year. To conclude the program, the high school band performed and the Caring Kids sang "And Love Grows."

After the ceremony, students returned to their school for a special surprise. Ginther's Principal Robin Masling, District Superintendent James Fallon, and PTSA President Joel Frater unveiled a new sign outside the school. The sign is one of three new signs for Brockport's elementary schools, donated by the PTSA and the school district. The artwork, designed by art teacher Katie Schmitt, shows the children growing as they move from school to school. Pictured on the Ginther sign, where the children's education begins, are children and an acorn. For the Barclay Elementary (grades 2-3) sign, a tree is just forming, and when the students move on to the Hill Elementary School (grades 4-5), the tree will be nearly full-grown.