Lincoln Elementary School students have spent a portion of this month collecting thousands of dental hygiene supplies to donate to Springfield’s homeless community, as part of a school-wide supply drive.
Spearheaded by Lincoln Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Aimee Newton, the drive sought to teach students about healthy dental hygiene habits and serving others, while also encouraging friendly competition to see which classroom at Lincoln could bring in the most supplies.
The drive began March 6. Since then, over 2,000 items have been collected, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss. One student in Ms. Newton’s class brought in hundreds of toothbrushes – just in one day! The items will be donated to homeless organizations in Springfield, such as the Springfield Soup Kitchen.
“This is a wonderful example of our teachers going the extra mile to teach our kids about real-world lessons, like the value of community service, in addition to their typical classroom lessons,” said SCSD Superintendent Dr. Bob Hill. “Every day, we strive to mold not only good students, but good citizens. Kudos to Ms. Newton for organizing this impactful project.”
Lincoln chose to hold a dental hygiene supply drive as a continuation of education presented to students during National Children’s Dental Health Month in February.