Garwood staff raises money at McTeacher Night
They didn’t wear big red shoes, but Garwood Elementary School teachers and staff put on aprons and hats when they took over the Rathdrum McDonald’s restaurant March 20 to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.
McTeacher Night, a fundraiser the school has participated in for six years, has raised nearly $1,100 for the charity over the past two years.
“They’re about kids and we’re about kids, so it’s a good match,” said Garwood Principal B.J. DeAustin, who serves on the charity’s board of directors. The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to stay to be close to children who are at nearby hospitals being treated for serious illness or injuries.
A teacher in the district stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Spokane to be close to a premature baby and the mother of a Garwood student also stayed there after her child was badly injured in an accident, DeAustin said.
The money raised by Garwood elementary will go toward the Share-A-Night program, which helps pay for the stay of families who can’t afford it themselves.
Tim Skubitz, owner of the Rathdrum McDonald’s, said a lot of people recognize the name Ronald McDonald, but might not know what the Ronald McDonald House is until they – or someone they know or love – needs to stay there.
The support for the charity from Garwood Elementary and the Lakeland School District has been overwhelming, said Mike Forness, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane.
“If I could get a dozen towns throughout the Inland Northwest to do what Rathdrum and the Lakeland School District is doing, it would be tremendous for the Ronald McDonald House,” he said.
Nominate a youth for award
The deadline to nominate a Post Falls child for the Post Falls Mayor’s Youth Award is April 25. Nomination forms can be downloaded from the city’s Web site at www.postfallsidaho.org.
PF teacher named educator of the Year
The Post Falls American Legion has picked Post Falls High School band teacher Matt Barkley as Educator of the Year. Barkley conducts a concert based on the theme of Americanism each year as a tribute to veterans, according to the district newsletter, and Barkley and his band students donated more than 500 hours of time to the Post Falls Lions Haunted House. A teacher in the district for nine years, Barkley also participates in North Idaho College’s Jazz Ensemble and Wind Symphony and the Fort Sherman Brass Ensemble.
Volunteer for HEART
Mullan Trail Elementary School is seeking volunteers for the school’s HEART program. HEART, which stands for Help Encourage a Reader Today, pairs volunteers with at-risk students to practice reading for a half-hour each week. Students in the program receive a book every other week to take home and keep. The school is also looking for volunteers to help start an after-school program. For more information, contact Mindy Thorp at 457-0772 or e-mail mthorp@sd273.com.