New Meadow Run School children reaching out to tsunami survivors
FARMINGTON – First-grade students at New Meadow Run School in the New Meadow Run Bruderhof sit at their small desks on a recent morning, busily knitting colorful yarn into small squares. The children, who first learned to knit in kindergarten, are working with a strong purpose: creating blankets for the victims who survived the devastating tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in late December.
These small squares will be fashioned together to make a blanket – their first one has already been sent.
“I started this morning and look how far I got,’ said Darren Bowman, 6, holding up his blue square after receiving some help getting started from his mother.
This is one of many projects the children of New Meadow Run School are undertaking on behalf of the victims. Students from first through eighth grade are making blankets, hats, sweaters and a quilt to donate to the relief program, as well as creating cards that are being sold in local stores.
Also, recent high school graduates are operating a bread stand Saturdays near the Bruderhof entrance on Route 40 to raise money. The projects and funds are being sent to the Mennonite Central Committee, and the graduates recently visited the MCC office in Akron, Pa., near Lancaster, to volunteer their assistance.
“The kids really got themselves enthused about this. It took very little for the teachers to get them excited about this project,’ said Matt Maendel, teacher and principal of the school, which has 84 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. “They took the ball and ran with it. They came up with all kinds of ideas.’
Influenced by a curriculum that stresses art and crafts as well as faith through action, the students in this pacifist, Christian community have chosen to do projects to help with relief efforts and to remember the victims through art.
The remembrance includes the fifth- and sixth-graders’ creation of a picture called “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.’ Additionally, the second-grade students created 1,000 paper cranes, each one representing 150 victims – the initial death toll from the tsunami was reported as approximately 150,000. Both exhibits are hanging in the community dining hall as a memorial to the victims. In addition, the Bruderhof children have written songs and poems to tell the story of the tsunami children.
The first-grade students, working with second-graders, have already completed one knitted blanket, which was sent to victims in India.
“I hope it went to a baby girl,’ said Amanda Compy, 6, while knitting a light-green square.
Teacher Janet Boucher said this project has two purposes: “It teaches them practical skills, and they’re also learning to think beyond themselves to the world they live in.’
The young students have an understanding of the devastation caused by the tsunami.
“They have nothing,” said Alma Wareham, 7.
“They have no home or anything,’ added Jader Gneiting, 6.
In the second-grade class, the students work on paper cranes like the ones they made for the memorial. They were influenced by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl who developed leukemia in 1955 from the effects of radiation caused by the bombing of Hiroshima. While hospitalized, Sasaki tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes, fulfilling a Japanese legend that the gods might grant her wish to be well again. She died before reaching her goal.
“It took not even a week to (create the cranes) because all the people who live here helped – parents, brother and sisters and grandparents,” teacher Rita Wareham said. “We keep looking for ways to stretch our view of the world and what people are going through.’
The third- and fourth-grade classroom is filled with small sewing machines that the children use to work on a quilt with fabric they received from MCC.
“I’m practicing sewing straight lines,’ said Jeffrey Maendel, 8, as he sewed over lines on paper, while Veronica Domer and Marita Trapnel, both 9, showed off the fabric for the quilt.
Berlind Fellerneier, 9, said the school also has turned off lights when they are not needed and is sending the money saved on the electric bill to MCC.
In the fifth- and sixth-grade classroom, Heather Wareham, 10, reported, “We’re making sweaters and hats for the people in Asia.’
Also, the students have made elaborate note cards that they’re selling to help in the relief effort.
The school has set up a display of note cards in front of the seventh- and eighth-grade classroom. Each card is one-of-a-kind, made by hand, with no duplicates. Some make use of feathers, cutouts or stencils.
“We sometimes sell cards for open house,” said Rebecca Newton, 12. “We got the idea to sell cards for relief work.’
“You have to get an idea,’ Errol Gattis, 12, said about making the cards.
“Some are more difficult than others,’ Newton added.
“Right now, we have four boxes out in the community,’ said Thomas Hofer, 12. “It’s fun making the cards and taking them around and putting them out.’
“Give us a call and we’ll bring you a card box,’ said Jared Bowman, 12.
Regarding the tsunami victims, Bowman added, “We wanted them to know we’re thinking of them, that people care about them.’
Near the entrance to New Meadow Run, Bruderhof members who graduated in January from Uniontown Area High School have been busy selling bread.
“We bake it. We have white bread, and we’re going to do wheat bread,’ said Anna Hofer, 17.
Hofer, along with Jeff King, 17, Dale Goodwin, 18, and Delf Huessy, 17, recently spent two weeks helping the MCC in Akron, Pa., with relief efforts, such as preparing kits for personal care items and educational materials.
“You can have nice thoughts and sympathy, but if you don’t back it up, it doesn’t carry much weight,” King said about helping out.
The New Meadow Run School students also are reaching out to the community for help with their projects. They are asking for donations of yarn, which can be dropped off at the front office near the entrance on Route 40 Monday through Saturday between 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The bread stand is in operation Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition, New Meadow Run Bruderhof is hosting a community event called “Knit It Together’ on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where the public can come to learn how to knit and work on these relief projects with Bruderhof members. The event will feature door prizes, raffles, a play area for children and a sandwich lunch. The Bruderhof has suggested a $5 donation for adults. To register or for more information, call 724-329-8674.