Meadow Elementary School Students Help Tackle Hunger

This year’s “Super Bowl” took on a different meaning at Meadow Elementary School, as students in Ms. Morgan Maus’s and Ms. Pria Das’s second-grade classes brought their learning to life through an altruistic, real-world project.

During their social studies unit on financial literacy and economics, the young learners explored such key concepts as needs, choices, value, and responsible decision-making. This learning extended beyond the classroom lesson as students applied their knowledge to address a real-world cause: hunger. Together with their Student Council, they established the “SOUPer Bowl of Caring”—a food drive to support their community members in need.

Overall, the learning experience, which encompassed the district’s Future Ready Competencies (critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, civics, and character), was both engaging and empowering for Meadow’s second graders. The project demonstrated that anyone, no matter how big or small, can make a positive change in the world.

“We were proud to support the Student Council’s initiative and bring it to life through our financial literacy unit in a meaningful way,” expressed Ms. Maus. “Our goal was to move beyond simply learning about money and decision-making and show students how those skills can truly make a difference in the real world and in our community.”

Throughout the project, the second graders developed essential academic and life skills. They improved their communication by creating advertisements, posters, and jingles to promote participation. Additionally, the students observed how teamwork and engagement could lead to success. The initiative also fostered collaboration and civic responsibility. By working with the Student Council and other classes, the second-grade students learned to support one another’s ideas, work toward common goals, and contribute to broader objectives.

Ultimately, the collection bins were filled with bags and bags of nonperishable items. The donations were then delivered to the food pantry at St. Christopher’s in Baldwin to support local families.  

“When we work together as a school community, even small acts of kindness can create a big impact,” added Ms. Das.