On Wednesday, June 4, 2008, 21, students in Zio Perez’s pre-k class lined up — each with a giant bag of supplies and goodies — and in assembly-line-format, filled colorful mesh backpacks for students in South Africa. Their teacher will distribute the backpacks, along with other supplies, when she and fellow teacher, Megan Whitney (of Audubon School) return to the Masakheni Fox Educare Centre in Khayelitsha Township this July.

The two women will also do some teacher training and oversee the purchase and installation of new plumbing for the one-room school. Then they will travel on to Swaziland, where they will conduct a training program for teachers at Moya Centre, an educational organization for orphans.

The backpack supplies were purchased and donated through a fundraising project the children have been working on for about a month. To date, they’ve raised over $450, primarily from “presentations” they’ve given to each class in their school.

To learn more about this project, including how to donate, visit http://rainbowteam.givemeaning.com

View the video of the backpack assembling.

Read about the campaign in Skyline.

See more photos.

At Nettelhorst, we’re always learning new ways to care for our environment. We actively participate in “green” events, like Waste Not Wednesday when our sixth graders did a daily trash audit for an entire week.

We also participated in Celebrate Earth Hour. And we were one of the first Chicago public schools to have a Healthy Eating Program, so we also learn about keeping our bodies healthy.

If you haven’t seen our wonderful outdoor artwork on Melrose, you’re missing a treat. Everything is constructed from recycled elements. Our bicycle tree is made of old bicycle parts. Our “glitter tree” is shiny and silvery and beautiful. Made from a donated dead tree limb, it’s decorated with recycled items and birdfeeders (also recycled). Not only is it a treat for people walking through our neighborhood, but it’s a gathering place for hungry birds.