January 2006

Teddies for Tears Program: A Generous Outreach from Johnstown Schools to the Community
Jansen Avenue Elementary School and Johnstown High School students donated 500 stuffed animals to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and the Johnstown Ambulance Department on Jan. 20.

The donations were part of the “Teddies for Tears” program, which was organized by Jansen Avenue’s Student Council and Shared Decision Making (SDM) team. When brainstorming for the community project, the group focused on the school’s December character education trait, “generosity.”

“It was important for the students to be able to give something from themselves,” said Jansen Avenue Elementary Principal Patricia Sotero.

A large bin was placed in the elementary school’s lobby, where each day, students would bring in a variety of new or gently used stuffed animals.

“Some students shared with me that they brought in their most favorite stuffed animal,” said Sotero. “What a great display of sacrificial giving.”

High School Principal Michael Beatty and Family and Consumer Science teachers Sharon Humphrey and Carol Miller suggested the involvement of Johnstown High School students. Partnering in the effort is King Cole Laundromat in Johnstown who donated their services to clean the stuffed animals. The toys were then transported by district employees, Larry Evans, Frank Insognia, Glenn Duross and Dick Baker to the high school’s Family and Consumer Science classrooms. Craft items were collected for the Family and Consumer Science classes to use for repairing the stuffed animals. High School students sewed on new eyes and noses, brushed their matted hair, tied bows around their necks and hot-glued decorations on the stuffed animals before sending them back to Jansen Avenue.

“The students were really excited to get involved with hands-on work,” said Humphrey. “I think it’s a great idea to coordinate with the elementary and high schools, and do something to help others, while having fun.”

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and the Johnstown Ambulance Department will use the stuffed animals to provide comfort for children who are being transported in emergency situations.

Deputy Scott S. McCoy from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and Ambulance Attendants Julie Brayton and Shaun Brayton from the Johnstown Ambulance Department came to pick up the stuffed animals from Jansen Avenue Elementary School.

“Each day, students who had a smile on their faces would tell me that they brought in a bag full of stuffed toys,” said Sotero. “I believe the students were very prideful that they could do this on their own — personally giving something from themselves.”

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