Brentwood Holds On To Win Donation Trophy

They laid out the ground rules on the neutral territory of Didier’s restaurant last month - one point per item, gum not allowed.

Each day the principals of Midway and Brentwood elementary schools met at high noon to give updates; fudging the numbers down to give opponents a false sense of security was definitely against the rules.

“We agreed not to sandbag,” said Dave Stenersen, Brentwood Elementary principal.

There was no sandbagging Friday, when Brentwood students gave away the first load of food. They hardly made a dent in the titanic mound of Top Ramen, chili, baby food and other canned goods - more than 6,000 individual items in all.

Midway students gathered about 2,500 items.

At the Didier summit last month, Stenerson, Midway principal Dave Groth and student representatives had to determine what constituted an individual package. “Does cookies in a baggie mean 50 items, or one?” Groth asked.

They decided to give a point for anything that can be individually sold - gum excluded.

Not surprisingly, Cases of Ramen - the cheap, packaged Asian-style noodles that keep college students out of food banks - were most popular. Brentwood sixth-grader Nick Slade brought two cases, adding 48 ticks to the tally for under $8.

The competition, Stenersen and Groth say, was a heckuva way to spur giving, not vice versa. Stenersen approached Groth with the idea four years ago, in hopes of adding to the donation totals.

Midway won the first year. But this year’s victory makes it a three-peat for Brentwood. The winning school gets a trophy for a year and the school’s name engraved on a plaque.

Classrooms competed against each other in addition to the inter-school competition. Students are willing to give, when give the chance to kick the behinds of fellow students, they start hopping with anticipation.

“It means a lot in school spirit,” said Adam Boisen, a Brentwood sixth-grader.

Despite efforts to keep competition clean, there was some suspected skulduggery. Brentwood sixth-grader Eric Williams feared the members of the Midway volleyball team were spies digging for “sandbagged” cases of artificial-flavored pork Ramen, until he was reminded that the Brentwood team played at Midway.

As she loaded a box of food, Brentwood sixth-grader Vikki Brown said the prodigious pile of food made her happy.

“It just muskes us feel good when we can get this much stuff,” said Brown.

The food benefits food banks and other local social service programs, including Ogden Hall.

Students help the needy

Two more for the charity file: Because of the efforts of two Mead High School juniors, a 13-month-old boy has a new winter coat with attached mittens, two blanket sleepers and Learn to Walk booties. And a five-year-old boy has a new pair of tennis shoes that light up when he walks.

Through teacher Brock Taylor’s international marketing class, students Debbie Fretwell and Alyson Vail coordinated a two-week all-school giving drive for needy youths involved with the Tree of Giving and the Crosswalk program for homeless kids.

Thirty Mead classes raised $2,109 for the two social service groups.

“Some peole brought in $20 bills and some brought in 50 cents,” said Fretwell.

Fretwell, Vail and several other students in Taylor’s class spent the money last weekend shopping for warm winter clothes and Christmas gifts, which were given to the needy youths.

“Looking at what they have gotten for Christmas, I think they should all have a happy Christmas,” said Fretwell.

And at North Central High School, students gave about $1,750 in spare change over a two-week period ending last Friday.

With the money, teacher Leonard Long’s leadership class bought 70 $25 gift certificates at area grocery stores and gave them to the needy families of North Central students.

Deer Park senior honored

The Deer Park Rotary club selected Todd Weger, a Deer Park High School senior who is a varsity athlete, honor student, student leader and entrepeneur, as their student of the month for November.

Weger plans to go to Washington State University and major in business administration. In the meantime, he can look forward to basketball, baseball and a round of meetings as the school treasurer and honor society president.

Through a school vocational program, he also runs an espresso stand with another student, making about $80 a day.

, DataTimes MEMO: If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a North Side school or about the achievements of North Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Jonathan Martin, Education Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5484. Fax: 459-5482.