Over the past few years, TSNS has had an ongoing relationship with Briya Public Charter School, a two generation charter school in DC that serves a diverse population. Temple Sinai Nursery School has raised money through the challah orders to cover healthy snacks for their toddler classroom. Last year, our families purchased books at the book fair, ensuring that Briya had a robust library for their students.
This year we decided to find a new way to support Briya with our tzedakah project. In conjunction with the Art Show, we decided to create art bags for the children at Briya to take home. Their school is well supplied through grants and other funding sources for their classrooms, but many of their children don’t have art supplies at home.
With the help of TSNS families and temple members, the Amazon wish list was fulfilled – quickly! The bags not only hold the basics, but also things like popsicle sticks, pipecleaners and beautiful collage papers that the children here at TSNS enjoy working with.
The children were very involved with this project, helping to count out and create bundles of popsicle sticks and pipecleaners, and cutting and bagging the beautiful papers. Next, each child created a card for a specific child at Briya who was close to their age and then stuffed their bag with all the goodies.
Our oldest children couldn’t get enough of helping and they talked about what they have been doing for Briya:
Jack R – “My mom and me and my family donated stuff to Briya.”
Edie – “I was donating markers to a school that doesn’t have anything.”
With all the enthusiasm they continued to think of other things they could do;
Matty – “Well I could just donate money.”
Clara – “I will donate a book.”
Children and teachers worked together to create 78 beautiful art bags for Briya students aged 2 – 4. Now it was time to deliver them to Briya.
Isaac in Dubim – “We could put them in a box and put that in something that drives and then take them to Briya and put them in a classroom.”
And that’s exactly what we did! On April 30th, three children with their parents drove to Briya and distributed the bags. Each child handed out bags to children who were excited to see their name on the bag and to check out all the fun supplies.
Thank you to all who contributed to this very special and meaningful project!