Shawsheen School: Volunteering students raise money by doing extra math

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February 18, 2010

Fundraiser raises cash, math knowledge

By Bethany Bray

Working on some extra math problems has added up to dollars for Shawsheen School youngsters this winter.

Students at the pre-kindergarten through second-grade choice school raised close to $11,550 for the school's PTO-sponsored programs through a "math-a-mania" fundraiser this month.

PTO organizers created 15-page, age-specific math workbooks for each grade level, and students completed them at home, collecting pledges from family, neighbors and friends for each page they finish.

The fundraiser is optional, and completed above and beyond student's normal class work, said Karen Gaffney and Chris Peckham, Shawsheen mothers and math-a-mania co-chairwomen.

However, most of the school - close to 290 students - participated. Donations ranged from checks written by generous grandparents to loose change pledged by young siblings.

Besides math skills, youngsters learn confidence by explaining the fundraiser to family members and asking for donations. Math-a-mania is also an exercise in contributing to something bigger than yourself, said Peckham and Gaffney.

This year, math-a-mania workbooks dovetailed with Shawsheen's ocean theme. Students counted, added and subtracted types of marine life, like octopi. Another exercise had students compare their own body size and weight to a manatee. PTO organizers also designed several in-class math exercises that corresponded with the workbooks.

Math-a-mania was the brainchild of Shannon Hartnett, former Shawsheen PTO president and school reading specialist, who started the fundraiser five years ago.

Math-a-mania concluded at an all-school assembly Feb. 12, before school ended for February vacation. Students erupted in cheers when Hartnett revealed the grand total. Every hand shot into the air as Hartnett said "Raise your hand if you had fun doing math-a-mania!"

Students who participated could pick a prize from a treasure chest. Classrooms with the highest percentage of students participating won an extra recess period. Students who raised the most money won other prizes, including a lunch with Shawsheen Principal Moira O'Brien.

Top fundraisers in the Shawsheen School PTO's "math-a-mania" fundraiser include William Berner, Tanner Peckham, Zack Nepomnayshy, Jack Walsh, Caroline Nault, Kate Uluatum, Ryan Gaffney, Paul Yannalfo, Sam Murray, Sophia Yannalfo, Sydney Gregory, Noah Farland, Anthony Previte, Ashley Veneto, Helina Dicovitsky, Kate Zdunczyk, Jackson Burns, Eric Strong, Lucca Pillage and Zachary Burns.