Penny wars at Rocky Heights Middle School
by Kathy Dunker
This year the Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) eighth grade classes worked on team service projects to help people in need both inside and outside of the Douglas County school community.
Some 422 students participated in the “Penny Wars.” In this competition, pennies earned the classes positive points, while silver and paper currency contributions earn negative points. No matter what is collected, or whether a classroom ends up positive or negative, everybody wins in this service project.
For the last four weeks, each of the three eighth grade teams competitively raised money, with their penny war collections going to either the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless families or families in need within the Douglas County school district.
The “Explorer” team raised a total of $3,924.35, adopting eight families, or a total of 40 people. This team’s original fund raising goal was to adopt five families, but their generosity allowed them to take on three additional families, and donate $500 to the RHMS Student Senate/Rock Star Canned Food Drive. The students will take a shopping trip to purchase the items requested by the families, spending time planning, budgeting and then wrapping the items.
The “Mountaineer” and “Navigator” teams raised more than $3,000, providing clothes, toys, gift and grocery store certificates to 14 families. The students will plan, budget and get to experience cyber shopping on a grand scale. After the gifts are shipped, students will wrap the items to deliver to the families later in December. Because of outstanding giving on the part of these students, in addition to the fourteen families, donations will also be made to Toys for Tots.
