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PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
McKinley fourth-graders wrap love around patients fighting cancer
Alexia Hansen , Minnesota Oncology practice manager , reads a thank-you poem she wrote to express cancer patients ’ appreciation for the gift of a blanket .
When paramedics lifted 9-year old Julia Ogren ’ s great-aunt Sharon into the ambulance , she wouldn ’ t let them take her to the hospital without the fleece tie-blanket Julia had made for her .
“ She said that was the one thing she had to have with her — the blanket I made . She said it was all she needed ,” Julia said , tears welling up in her eyes as she realized how much that simple gift meant to her great-aunt .
A cancer patient , Sharon had already endured countless rounds of chemotherapy wrapped in that pink and blue fleece blanket and she told Julia that she could feel her love wrapped around her with that blanket .
Julia is one of 150 McKinley Elementary School fourth-grade students who made more than 100 fleece tie blankets last month . On Jan . 18 those blankets were presented to Minnesota Oncology for distribution to patients undergoing cancer treatments at its Coon Rapids and Fridley clinics .
Program manager Alexia Hansen told the children how much those blankets will mean to patients fighting that deadly disease .
“ Patients getting chemotherapy have to sit for a long time , they ’ re sick and they don ’ t feel good and sometimes they get cold and ask for a blanket . I used to have to give them a scratchy wool blanket — that wouldn ’ t feel very good , would it ? Now I can give them one of these nice , soft , warm blankets you made ,” she told them .
“ You have no idea what all these blankets mean to them . They can ’ t believe someone thought of them , someone wanted to help them , someone made a blanket for them . These blankets mean so much ,” Hansen said .
The blankets were made after students learned about the “ kindness boomerang ” during a Kindness Retreat earlier this school year .
Eager to wrap love and encouragement around patients fighting cancer , Lydia Worden and Julia Ogren pose with some of the 105 blankets they helped to make before they were presented to Minnesota Oncology .
“ If you throw a boomerang , it comes back to you . If you throw kindness out into the world , it comes back to you . The kids came up with this idea to make blankets for cancer patients and I know they ’ ll feel that kindness as they imagine patients using their blankets ,” said McKinley teacher Melissa Eilertson , who along with fellow fourth-grade teacher Jeanne Baker organized the project .
With a goal of making 25 blankets one afternoon before winter break , Eilertson and Baker got word out to parents about the project . Soon , enough money and fabric was donated by those parents to make more than 100 blankets .
“ We told them what we wanted to do and money just kept coming in . We couldn ’ t believe it . The McKinley families have such a heart , such care and these kids are all about that ,” said Baker .
The day before winter break , fourth-graders gathered in the cafeteria for the blanket-making project . Sheets of 60x70-inch fleece had already been cut and laid out on tables and in groups of five or six students , the fourth-graders got to work tying together the colorful fleece fabric . In 90 minutes time , 105 blankets had been made .
Those blankets wrap a special kind of love , Hansen said .
“ We often get gifts from businesses or church groups , but something like this from children so young – we don ’ t see that very often . This is something special ,” she said .
And McKinley students want to keep the giving going .
“ The kids are already asking what they can do next ,” Eilertson said , adding that “ this is something more than just the blankets . This has got the kids talking about other ways they can help someone , show someone they care . The lessons they learned at the Kindness Retreat continue .”
Baker said she hopes students keep those lessons close to heart .
“ Julia knows how much that blanket meant to her great-aunt . She knows that blanket kept her warm and cozy and reminded her of the love that went into it . I hope all these kids always remember how they got together and made these blankets , how they did something for someone they don ’ t even know and how that made such a difference ,” Baker said .
Julia knows her great-aunt is just one of dozens who will feel students ’ love wrapped around them as they endure the biggest fight of their lives .
“ We just want to help them get through it and know someone cares ,” Julia said . ■
Alexia Hansen , Minnesota Oncology practice manager , poetically expressed the patients ’ deep gratitude for the heartfelt gift of handmade blankets . She read her poem ( below ) to the McKinley Elementary School fourth-grade students who made the blankets when she visited the school Jan . 18 to collect the blankets .
What a Blanket Means
It starts with some fabric ; maybe bright blue or gold
And ideas to tie here-no there , or so you ’ ve been told
The cloth begins to change and become something new
Much like our cancer patients who are on their journey , too
All of us get scared sometimes and can be filled with fright
But now our patients have something warm to get them through the night
Because , these blankets mean so much more than being cozy
It means someone thought of you when life wasn ’ t rosy
To say thank you doesn ’ t seem quite enough So without going into too much emotional stuff
Please know our hearts are wide open and our arms will hold tight
This gift from new friends which will help us through the fight
Two district educators honored as 2016 TIES Exceptional Teachers
Two educators with the Anoka-Hennepin School District have been named 2016 TIES Exceptional Teachers , an honor that recognizes teachers who use technology to positively impact student learning and model best practices in their classroom .
Melyssa Carlson , an instructional technology teacher at the district ’ s Educational Service Center ( ESC ), and Will Powell , the technology coordinator at Roosevelt Middle School ( RMS ) in Blaine , received the awards at the TIES 2016 Education Technology Conference Dec . 13 .
TIES is an education technology consortium made up of 49 school districts statewide . Carlson and Powell were chosen by Superintendent David Law for the award , and were among 77 teachers from TIES member districts being honored .
Carlson is based at the ESC , Anoka-Hennepin ’ s administrative building , but primarily divides her time between five elementary schools where she works directly with staff and students on the best ways to use technology in the classroom . She ’ s also an active contributor to curriculum writing teams , as well as a lead collaborator on districtwide technology initiatives .
Powell has always been willing to share his passion for education technology and broad knowledge of technology skills to improve student learning and assist teachers in the classroom , and he models lifelong learning by exploring new and emerging technology that he shares with collaborative teams and central support departments . His work enables both staff and students to utilize technology to maximize learning .
Check out the video detailing both Carlson and Powell at ahschools . us ■