WARM FOR THE HOLIDAYS
ECU community brings warmth to Lab School students
An ECU Lab School fourth-grader leaves school for the holidays on Wednesday, Dec. 20, with his gift of winter clothes donated by the ECU community.
Each child at the East Carolina University Lab School carefully examined the mystery bag with purple and gold ribbons that magically appeared at their desks. On the Wednesday morning before Christmas they returned to their classes to find a surprise waiting. This surprise present may not have contained this year’s most popular toy or game, but each bag assembled for the Lab School students contained $100 worth of warm winter clothes assembled from donations across the ECU campus and community.
As the weather turned cooler, members of the ECU Lab School staff and faculty began to notice many of the students were showing up to school without adequate clothing, and their participation in class was suffering.
“They were becoming distracted with these challenges and were asking for some help with providing them with what they needed,” said ECU Lab School principal Tasha Rodriguez. “The staff and I then decided to reach out to our colleagues at the university to come together to support our scholars in this way.”
After assessing each child’s needs and clothing sizes, the Lab School staff turned the list over to Terah Archie, director of community outreach and donor relations for ECU’s College of Education. Archie’s first call for donations went out to the college’s faculty and staff and from there the response grew to include donations from approximately 16 different departments and colleges across the ECU campus.
“I know from experience that ECU Pirates believe in serving others, but I was truly humbled by the level of generosity shown by individuals across both East and West campus, our alumni and our COE and Lab School board members,” Archie said. “When we finally got everything packaged and ready to deliver, I looked around and felt an overwhelming sense of pride in our university.”
Once the entire amount of clothing, toiletry items and monetary donations were totaled, the ECU Lab School donation drive amassed $10,727 in donations. The total includes the donation of a washer and dryer from College of Education alumnus Marty Askew, who owns Lenoir Tire and Appliance in Kinston. The washer and dryer will be housed in the Lab School, but will also be available to the entirety of South Greenville Elementary School, where the school operates.
Lab School scholar Kenney Joanis poses and smiles as he leaves school for the holidays with his bag full of winter clothes donated by the ECU community.
“We initially had a priority list of students to provide for, but that quickly turned into supporting every one of them,” Rodriguez said. “This has been very important, because trust and relationships are extremely important to our scholars and this effort will assist in breaking down some walls that we struggle with.”
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Education. “We are so grateful for the kindness and generosity expressed by our colleagues and supporters, and appreciate the desire to help us continue to make a difference in the lives of children and families.”
With these new winter clothes, Rodriguez said the Lab School scholars can enjoy their time at school and focus on their studies.
“Our scholars have so many challenges which are out of their control, but to now have something that will bring them comfort while at school will help keep them engaged, warm and settled throughout the day,” she said. “I am overwhelmed with emotions of gratefulness, true Pirate pride and love. Our university has truly demonstrated service in so many ways. It is not just a saying but a lifestyle.”
Housed in a renovated wing of South Greenville Elementary School, the ECU Lab School serves students who have underperformed in their traditional school setting by building upon the students’ strengths. The Lab School addresses students’ academic needs, and also provides students with additional resources to enhance their development physically, socially and emotionally. Additionally, the Lab School operates on an extended day schedule with students remaining in school until 5 p.m.
Lab School second-graders inspect the shapes within their bags in anticipation of opening them after returning home.