Students donate over $1,500 to The Literacy Council through this year’s competition
Highlands School raised over $1,500 dollars in this year’s Penny Wars and chose The Literacy Council as the recipient. The total raised by students and teachers was over $870 and was matched by an anonymous donor.
Students competed for weeks filling their class jars with loose change and cashing in entire piggy banks for the glory and spoils of the annual competition that awards the victors with an ice cream party and cafeteria bragging rights throughout the year.
This year’s class to score the highest was Margie Potts’ kindergarten class. Math Teacher Gina Billingsley said students really got into the competition aspect of the fundraiser.
“A lot of kids really liked getting involved,” she said. “They know it’s a good donation for The Literacy Council, but once a class started pulling ahead, they would be targeted.”
Targeted indeed, like the fate that befell Kristin Huneycutt’s 4th-grade class. A point is added to a class’ score for every penny in their jar, and points are subtracted for silver change or folding cash.
Kristen Huneycutt’s fourth-grade class hatched diabolical plans to sabotage other classes’ penny jars with silver coins.
So yes, Potts’ class “scored” the highest, but Huneycutt’s class raised the most amount of money by being targeted by any number of good-intentioned donors with ulterior motives who slipped negative points in their jar.
“The students were really into it and got so mad when people put in silver coins,” said Huneycutt. “So, we devised plans on who we should attack in response.”
Potts said her students had a blast adding points to their jar.
“They were really excited about it,” said Potts. “And it’s so sweet seeing 5 and 6-year-olds bringing in their piggy banks.”
The Literacy Council will put the money towards the Creative Corner in the new facility undergoing renovations in Bryson’s Plaza. The Creativity Corner will consist of a Lego wall, a creative drawing space, and a “brag” wall, where students can exhibit their good grades, art projects, or short stories.
Pictured at the top of the article is Margie Pott’s victorious Kindergarten class after winning Penny Wars.
Read the initial story about Penny Wars on Plateau Daily News HERE.
Article and Photos by Brian O’Shea
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