Denton ISD Our Impact In Your Community Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 9

Visitors to Mr. Gauntt’s classroom for Helping Hands
meetings are apt to witness everything from an
assembly line of students making peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches to groups of students painting
benches they helped build. The same handy crew
might be even sitting
quietly and watching a
video about the need for
more clean water sources
for students in Africa.
“It’s been amazing to
see how invested these
students have become
in their school and
community,” said Mr.
Gauntt. “A lot of these kids
don’t have a lot extra that
they can give, but they still
find ways that they can do
it to help others.”
science camp and dispersed the “friendship benches”
they built around common areas at the school so
students will be reminded to give back when they’re
sitting with their friends.
“I joined Helping
Hands because I
wanted to put more
smiles on people’s
faces and share in
the joy that I feel
every day,” said
Sawyer. “It’s fun to
see us reaching out
to more kids and
them wanting to do
the same.”
Julie, a fifth
grader, recalled a
Third grader Angelys Laguna restocks the mini-food pantry the Helping Hands conversation the
built and maintain on the Ginnings elementary campus. It is positioned in
group had about
a convenient location, yet in a place where parents in need can take them
Mother Teresa
Helping Hands members
confidentially.
and the work she
have learned that giving
did around the world to help those less fortunate
back doesn’t always require them to donate money
during an after-school work session. She learned
or goods to a cause or help someone in need. Paying
the meaning of the word selfless that day and even
someone a compliment can brighten their day, while
though she’s only 11 years old, she doesn’t see a time
offering your time to help a classmate or simply
in her life when she won’t give back to others.
joining others in finishing a task is enough to help
ease a burden on people in the community.
When he’s told of Julie’s story, Mr. Gauntt flashed a
smile from ear to ear and beamed with pride.
The willingness to get involved has caught on in a
big way. Applications to join the club next year have
“Our goal is simple,” he said, recalling the Mother
grown to the point that there is a wait list of more
Teresa discussion. “When they leave here we want
than 30 students wanting to replacing the departing
them to know that they too can change the world by
fifth graders.
doing something big or by sharing a random act
of kindness.”
Helping Hands’ Wall of Kindness engulfs the main
hallway that leads into the Ginnings cafeteria and
gymnasium. Each different-colored outline of a
child-sized hand represents an act of kindness that
To learn more about Helping Hands watch
any student at the school has completed and been
this video https://www.youtube.com/
recognized for by a staff member, another student or
watch?v=oHWb3xXBX6w&t=5s
a member of the community.
“It makes me feel good to inspire others to do
something kind for someone else,” said fourth grader
Yoselin Luengas. ‘Everyone at school wants to be in
Helping Hands. And being in the club is fun because
we get cheery and happy to help other people.”
Seeing students get excited to help each other
is something Gauntt and the other teachers that
support Helping Hands are excited to see the most.
The group has organized campus clean-ups and
recycling projects, organized a spaghetti dinner to
raise more than $1,500 to help pay for the school’s
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