Yard Sale at Meadowlark Elementary Raises More Than $4,000 for Local Organization

Meadowlark Elementary School’s annual Fifth Grade Charity Yard Sale raised more than $4,000 for a local charity. 

Each year, students write papers nominating a charity to support. This year, the paper by student Zhana Soucek, who is in Kristin Gallagher’s fifth-grade class, was chosen to be the charity recipient of yard sale profits. At a school assembly, Zhana presented a check of $4034.36 to a representative of the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) of the Triad.

The first yard sale was organized more ten years ago by former fifth-grade teacher Martha Bethel and her class. The yard sale has evolved to include the entire Meadowlark community, as well as incorporating persuasive writing techniques.

 

“Fifth-grade students study and practice persuasive writing,” said fifth-grade teacher Suzanne Sarfert. “They write a persuasive paper on a local charity of their choice. Teachers evaluate the papers using the persuasive writing rubric. Top-quality papers are chosen to be representative of the classes. Students then evaluate the top papers (names withheld) using the persuasive writing rubric. The top scoring paper is chosen as the charity to receive profits from the Fifth Grade Yard Sale. 

“After the charity is chosen, the fifth grade hosts a yard sale. Students bring gently used items, appropriate to school age children, from home to sell at the yard sale. Items include books, dolls, matchbox cars, games, flashcards, jewelry and more. Fifth grade classrooms are transformed into ‘stores’ and the entire MES family, kindergarten through fifth grade, shops at the one day event.

“The Fifth Grade Charity Yard Sale is one way the Meadowlark family contributes to the local community.”