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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008 BARROW JOURNAL PAGE 3A Community embracing spirit of giving LOCAL TOY DRIVE Eleven-month-old Ava Rustad and her mom, Denise Rustad, from Flowery Branch take part in the toy drive last week along with Santa Claus and Sparky the Fire Dalmation. Photo by Jessica Brown Barrow BOE approves Classworks expansion BY SUSAN NORMAN ith the economy in a tailspin, a full-court press is under way in Barrow County to fulfill the Christmas wishes of children whose parents can’t work the magic. Sponsors of community toy and fund drives are watching closely to see if holiday giving in Barrow County will match the rising level of need. Linking up most of the needy kids to folks willing to help them is Holiday Connection, an annual project of the Barrow County Family Connection/ Communities and Schools. “We have individuals and families who want help fin ding a family to adopt for Christmas. We pair people up,’’ said Michelle Walker, Holiday Connection’s volunteer coor dinator. “Those whom we can’t pair up, we invite to pick out toys at our toy shop in December. How much they get depends on how many dona tions we get.’’ Holiday Connection compiles its list of kids with the help of the Barrow County Department of Family and Children Services, Barrow County Schools, Tree House, Peace Place and area churches. The coordination prevents duplication of services and enables the community’s dona tions to reach as many children as possible. As of last week, at least 784 applications for assistance had been received. On those appli cations are a total of 1874 chil dren who need the community’s help. A committee was schedu led to review the applications Dec. 3 and to begin notifying qualified families by mail. All kinds of items for infants and children to the age of 18 are needed. Walker said. “We tend to get a lot for the little ones, but we want to make sure we have enough for middle- and high-schoolers who are still kids and want Christmas,’’ she said. Donors are asked to place unwrapped gifts in Holiday Connection collection boxes at locations around the county or to donate money by sending a check to Holiday Connection, PO. Box 278, Winder, Ga. 30680. The deadline for dona tions is Dec. 12, but Holiday Connection will accept dona tions until Dec. 17. “If we run out of items, we can run back out and do more shopping,” Walker said. Parents will pick out gifts for their children Dec. 16-18 at Holiday Connection’s tempo rary toy store inside the Winder Cultural Arts Center. “It means a great deal to the families and to the people who are helping the families,” Walker said. “It’s amazing how good it makes you feel to reach out and help someone who wouldn’t have a Christmas otherwise.” AREA TOY DRIVES Holiday Connection also provides children’s names to local fire departments and police departments sponsoring Christmas projects of their own. Winder Fire Department’s Empty Stocking Drive is Dec. 13. That day, Santa and Sparky will board a city fire truck and travel to nine city neighbor hoods to collect new toys and monetary donations. The visits are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at Park Place; 9:05 a.m. at Windemere; 9:35 a.m. at Brighton Point; 10:05 a.m. at Paris Pointe; 10:40 a.m. at Waverly Place, 11 a.m. at St. Ives; 11:50 a.m. at Chestnut Ridge; 12:45 p.m. at Overlook; and 1:30 p.m. at Bellingrath Plantation. Donations also are accepted every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Winder Fire Station One, 90 N. Broad St. in Winder. “We have it down to a scien ce,” said Winder Fire Chief Ray Mattison. “Santa and Sparky are on the truck. Behind the truck is a van with firefighters. They take the toys in the van. My car is behind the van, and I’m able to talk to the kids,” the chief said. “To watch the children come out and hug Sparky and give a gift, or to see empty nes- ters come out with a check makes you feel great about this community and good about Christmas.” Last year, the city fire department gave Christmas gifts to 300 kids. “We get names from Holiday Connection and from Russell Middle School, our partners in education. What we also try to look for is people in the community that are too proud to ask for help but maybe had a bad year,” Mattison said. The Holiday Connection also is identifying needy children for the Empty Stocking Toy Drive sponsored by Barrow County Fire and Emergency Services and the Barrow County Community Emergency Response Team. The public is invited to bring new, unwrapped toys to any of the county’s fire stations or to the Barrow County Fire Administrative Office at 66 McElroy St. in Winder no later than Dec. 15. “The need is big this year; so we are hoping that the gene rous citizens of Barrow County will show their support for this drive and come out and meet their firefighters at the same time,” said Lt. Scott Dakin, public information officer. Sparky and Santa will be on hand to greet children who come with their parents to the following stations over the next two weeks: Dec. 6, 9-11 a.m. at Station 1 at 1625 Bethlehem Road in Statham and 1-3 p.m. at Station 3,774 Christmas Ave. in Bethlehem; Dec. 13, 9-11 a.m. at Holsenbeck Elementary School’s front parking lot; and 1-3 p.m. at Station 5 (County Line) at 1292 Hwy. 211 NW, Winder. In addition to children identified through Holiday Connection, the county fire department’s toy drive will benefit children who are spen ding Christmas at Peace Place, a local shelter for battered women and their children. For information about this local toy drive, call 770-307-2987. SHOP WITH A COP Holiday Connection also is identifying needy children for the Winder Police Department’s “Shop with a Cop” project. This year’s project will serve 20 youngsters, which is twice the number of kids helped in 2007. Each child will be given a $200 Walmart gift card and will shop with either a city police officer or a Barrow County Sheriff’s deputy one Saturday this month. The officers and deputies will help the children first buy necessities like warm coats or shoes and then encourage them to pick out toys or other items they will enjoy. “This is eighth year we’ve done this, and what we see year after year is that these kids want to take care of their fami lies before they get anything for themselves,” said WPD Capt. Dennis Dorsey. “But we encourage them to buy them selves bicycles or something they want.” To donate money for this project, write a check to “City of Winder Shop With A Cop” and mail it to City of Winder Shop with a Cop, 94 N. Broad St., Winder, GA 30680. BY CHRIS BRIDGES After discussing the issue for several weeks, the Barrow County Board of Education voted last week to expand the Classworks software program into all elementary and middle schools. The motion passed 6-2 with board members Mark Still and Connie Wehunt voting against the motion, primarily based on the approximate $500,000 cost of the expansion. The pro gram, which proponents say helps students of all learning levels, is already being used in four elementary schools in Barrow County. Before the vote was taken, BOE member Rickey Bailey said he wanted to be assured the students who needed it would use the program as much as possible. “It is a big cost,” assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction Claire Miller said Tuesday night. “We have told our principals there will have to be accountability of how much the students will be exposed to it. We want to make sure the students who need it will be in there using The Barrow Journal will publish photos of your chil dren and grandchildren in our Christmas week edition. The deadline for turning in the photos has been extended to Wednesday, Dec. 10. You can send in photos of your child with Santa, a school photo, or a photo that you make at home. Children must be under 12-years-old. The photographs may be mailed or dropped by the Barrow Journal at 77 East May Street, Winder, Ga. 30680 it.” Hoselbeck Elementary School principal Jackie Robinson, whose school already uses Classworks, said during the work session all of her students have a chance to utilize the program, not just in the lab, but also in the classroom. “My main concerns are, it is very expensive and that we aren’t going to use it enough,” BOE member Still said. Robinson responded that some students arrive at school by 7:20 to take advantage of the program. Superintendent Ron Saunders, whose recommen dation was to approve the expansion, said the schools in the system work together and communicate daily, some times on an hourly basis. “There will be a cooperative spirit,” Saunders said. “They want this and want to be a part of this. We have principals who don’t have it who want to be a part of it.” The $470,000 for the expan sion will be paid over a three- year period with $25,000 per year paid for tech support. or you can email your photo to news@barrowjoumal.com. Include the child’s name, parents or grandparents name and town. The child or a parent or grandparent must live in Barrow County. Cost for the photo is $10 for a single child’s photo or $15 for a photo of multiple children. You can pick up the photos you send in after the Dec. 24 Barrow Journal edition at the Journal office. How Barrow County citizens can help this year To make a monetary dona- ing locations: •Artistic Hair Salon •City of Auburn Police tion, write a check to “Holiday •Piedmont Regional •Aaron Rents •Wal-Mart Connection” and mail it to Library •ReMax 1st •BC Schools PDC P.O. Box 278. Winder, Ga. •City of Statham •Fred's •Mommy's Cottage 30680. •Carrington House •Salon Bella Childcare To donate a gift for a child Antiques •Children’s Friend •Children's Friend look for Holiday Connection •City of Winder •Learn n Play •Community Bank & Trust collection boxes at the follow- •Barrow County News •Leisure Services branches Retiring sheriff to be honored The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office will host a retirement celebration for sheriff Joel Robinson Thursday, Dec. 18. The event will culminate 24 years of law enforcement for Robinson, who is retiring as sheriff at the end of the year. The event will be held at the Winder Community Center. The cost is $15 per person, which includes meal and gift, or $25 per couple. Those wishing to make comments should let organizers know when they RSVR Call 770-307-3080, ext. 3098 or 3133 for more information. Those wishing to attend should RSVP by Dec. 12. 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