Irvington Middle School students raised $730 to benefit the Fund for African Relief and Education during the annual Mardi Gras celebration from Feb. 1-11. French teacher and French Club adviser Deanna Tessler said the students’ donation will support middle schools in Senegal.
“One of the enduring understandings of our sixth grade curriculum is that education is a privilege, and our donations have helped students stay in school in Senegal who otherwise would not be able to,” Tessler said. “It was really heartwarming to see the connection that students made to this big idea and how it compares to their own life, especially school during the pandemic.”
Throughout the celebration, the students created posters and decorations for the school, while facilitating much of the celebration virtually. Each morning, they answered a question of the day and celebrated three daily winners, who received a macaron pen or an Eiffel Tower pencil sharpener as their prize.
In their most recent letter, the Fund for African Relief and Education indicated that with last year’s donation from Irvington Middle School, they were able to support three middle school girls to continue their education at a school in Tambacounda, Senegal. In their gratitude letter, FARE shared a picture of the students, Mariama Ba, Alima Sy and Khady Diakité, two of their teachers and middle school principal Salimata Coly Sané.
