Inside Thomson Elementary Part IV: A successful bake sale and more beautifying

This spring, Gabby Ingersoll, a student at American University, is volunteering for DC SCORES by spending each Monday afternoon with the poet-athletes at Thomson Elementary School observing them as they go through the stages of their service-learning project.

Each week, Gabby will write about her first-hand experience with the Thomson students as they strive to make improvements to their school and greater community.

See pictures from Gabby’s trips to Thomson on Flickr.

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I cannot express how proud I am of the Thomson students!

A few weeks ago, those in the DC SCORES service-learning program held a bake sale that raised $217.30. They sold everything they baked, earning all of their profits back!

Because their program is focused on gardening and healthy eating, the students used what they had planted in the garden (with the help of Miss Margie, of course) and created some delicious snacks.

What did they have?

Fruit cups were the biggest and most popular sell. The runners-up were zucchini cupcakes, bread and muffins.

After the sale, the students began winding down and Coach Pharis asked them to brainstorm what they would like to put their earnings toward. Tracy suggested that we help the community, a very lofty but heartfelt goal.

A few other suggestions were mentioned: DC SCORES soccer equipment,; a promotion party equipped with a DJ; purchasing and planting blueberry bushes around the front of the school; and what I believed to be the greatest idea of all — adopting Brooklyn Park across the street.

Now, the park isn’t positioned in a very large space where you can add dozens of new features, but it does have some potential. Derek suggested adding benches and tables where they could write in their journals. Coach Eric believed a small playground could possibly be built, with a swing set. Nora asked for a fence so that the kids would be out of danger from the street’s infinite amount of traffic.

Of the many attainable goals set forth that day, I’m curious to see which ones will come to fruition.

While this debate was ongoing, the surrounding 3rd and 4th graders helped find worms in the compost, once again, and began rotating the soil for future planting.

With their first successful bake sale under their belts, I can already tell that Thomson’s poet-athletes are anxiously awaiting the next one.