Students who are part of the Altitude Program at Windham Middle School are looking to make a positive impact on the community through a donation of collected books to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.
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| Students in the Altitude Program at Windham Middle School have been collecting children's books throughout November and will donate them to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland at an event on Nov. 26. COURTESY PHOTO |
The goal of the Altitude Program is to try to bring out the best in every child in the program by performing community building activities and to teach life skills to help students accomplish as much as possible. This is the third time the Altitude Program has collected books for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.
“Three years ago, we had a student that knew somebody who had been at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, and when we asked how you want to help the community, they came up with this idea,” said Lisa Anderson, an eighth grade Altitude teacher. “We are trying to keep it a tradition and grow it each year.”
A student who has had a family member at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital before told classmates that it is easy to get bored playing video games or watching the television, and said that having books and being able to read them makes children in the hospital happy.
Another Altitude student has been in a similar position.
“Books would have been very helpful for me,” she said. “Especially when it is nighttime and you are laying in a bed with nothing to do, books help pass the time.”
One student said that books give these children hope.
“Books can encourage children who may think that they might not be able to make it past the next week,” said Ryder, a student in Mrs. Anderson’s Altitude classroom. “They can read and live in that imaginary book world.”
There is a very broad variety of books that are donated, all with different genres, including books of hope, motivation, inspiration, and encouragement.
“I feel that what we do really does make a difference,” said one student. “It is not only chapter books that we donate, but also picture books, which is something that little kids can enjoy.”
The students do a lot to make this happen.
“We put up boxes to collect books, decorate the boxes, and put them in many different locations such as the school office, around the halls, cafeteria, and the superintendent’s office,” said the students. “We make posters and put them up to catch the attention of people. We also make an announcement at school and to our community to get the message across.”
There was also a book fair happening at the Middle School and students had the option to buy and donate books. The Windham Middle School librarian allowed a student from Mrs. Anderson’s classroom to pick $40 worth of books from the book fair to donate to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.
“About half our kids we found were totally impacted by the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, either having been there themselves or having a family member or friend who has been there,” said Anderson. “This gives us an opportunity to be directly compassionate to the kids sitting right here today.”
Last year when Altitude went to donate the books, the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital did not have enough beds for all of the children needing them.
“Everything that we contribute is greatly appreciated,” Anderson said.
By going out and donating books, the students also hope that they can inspire others to also go out and do good deeds. So far, there have been around 40 books that have been collected. “If we can do it, others can do it,” said a student.
The book donation is scheduled at the hospital on Nov. 26. <
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