By STEPHANIE BEACH
Local columnist
July 20, 2009 07:35 am Hettie Molvang of Traverse City wrote with a touching story that also illustrates the good job Traverse City Area Public Schools' teachers are doing. Hettie's grandson, Seve was a fourth-grader this past school year at Eastern Elementary School. The teacher, Roberta Rogers, was instructing the class about the economics of wholesale and retail, buying and selling. As a follow-up to the lesson, the students decided to sell cookies in class and went home to enlist their parents' help. A variety of cookies and brownies, all individually wrapped, arrived in class the next day and were sold for 25 cents each. The students did the selling, including making change. Mrs. Rogers then suggested that the students give the money to charity. Class discussion was held and students were allowed to make an arguments for their preferred charities. Finally it was decided that the money should go to the humane society, a very worthy recipient. "My grandson, Seve, arrived home from school and with one small tear running down his cheek, said in a small, quiet voice, 'the money went to the dogs,'" Hettie wrote. "Seve had put in his bid to have the money go to the Grand Traverse Area Parkinson's Support Group. Seve has been deeply involved with the (group) since his grandfather had Parkinson's disease and Seve knew what a difficult journey it had been for his grandfather before he died." Later that week, Mrs. Rogers sent a letter complimenting Seve on his debate for Parkinson's. Enclosed was a check for the Parkinson's Support Group that was much appreciated and will be used for upcoming events for Parkinson's patients. "This vignette reminds us that our schools are teaching the basic needs of daily living, that the new math is working, and social studies are promoting understanding of the world and its needs," Hettie wrote. "Here in Traverse City we have a school system that strives to be exemplary with its mission to enrich our children's ability to learn."
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Photos
Stephanie Beach
A weekend get-together in May was the perfect time to take a five-generation photo. Pictured, left to right, are great-grandmother Anne Wakenhut of Lakeview, Mich., great-great-grandmother Jane Isaacsen of Traverse City, Noah Ramon and his mom Alyshia Ramon, both of Mount Pleasant, and grandmother Jenn Hetzman also of Mount Pleasant. Although the gathering was for girls only, Noah was allowed to attend because he's still a baby. Special to the Record-Eagle