Scotland School Helps Colorado Flood Victims Get Back on Their Feet

After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, Scotland Elementary School faculty, led by first grade teacher Danielle Donovan, third grade teacher Wendy Hamann, and fifth grade teacher Cheryl Osher, wanted to find a way to help a school in the hardest hit area.  

They were put in touch with PS 104, a pre-K through 5th grade school in Far Rockaway, at which more than a third of students and staff lost their homes to Sandy.  Scotland School and the Ridgefield community raised more than $18,000 via tag sales, donations, bake sales and other community events.  In addition, some of the Scotland teachers visited PS 104 to deliver donated school supplies and stuffed animals, and Scotland fifth graders were even visited by their Far Rockaway friends and pen pals for a collective field day.  

Given the success of the relationship after Hurricane Sandy, PS 104 asked that, along with their school, Scotland continue to pay it forward by helping the Colorado Friendship mobile food and clothing effort, which is working to aid people in areas of Colorado devastated by floods this past September.  Although in need of a great variety of supplies, Scotland was specifically asked to contribute new men’s socks.  For two weeks, Scotland School became known as “Sockland School” as students brought in men’s socks by the dozens.  Many new socks were assembled in Ziploc bags with handwritten notes from Scotland families.  In the two weeks of the program, “Sockland” families donated 2,175 pairs of socks, which in addition to the approximately 500 pairs contributed by PS 104, resulted in 2,675 pairs being sent cross-country to Colorado.  According to Ms. Hamann, “the kids at SES were so excited and on board with collecting the socks.  They really wanted to help!”  Just shipping the socks cost over $400 and everyone wanted to thank the PTA for covering the cost of the shipping.

Just as the sock drive concluded, and the new socks and notes from families were sent across the country, “Sockland School” once again became “Scotland School.”  But the “Play it Forward” program will not end, and continues to grow and evolve into what faculty organizers hoped it could be at its onset, a resource where schools come together to help communities in crisis.  “We would love to see ‘Play it Forward’ evolve into something that can help as many schools as possible.  Kids helping kids is amazing to watch and be part of.  Cheryl Osher, Danielle Donovan and I have many ideas that we hope will take off this year and years to come,” said Ms. Hamman.