NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
October 7, 2014 Walnut, CA 91789
Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909)595-1261 ext. 31204
South Pointe caps off hat drive with Mad Hatter tea party
WALNUT, CA—South Pointe Middle School will soon donate hundreds of new hats to Hats Off For Cancer.
The non-profit organization focuses on improving the lives of courageous children and teens that are battling cancer.
A school-wide drive was held September 22-October 6.
“Everyone who donated got their name put in for a Mad Hatter tea party,” said Jamie Kirkvliet, Special Education teacher and leadership/ASB advisor.
The six winners got to bring a friend to the hat day party with their principal on August 7.
“I just want to thank all of you for bringing in your hats for cancer patients,” said Principal Susan Arzola.
This year, the campus is focusing on doing one thing that makes a difference.
“And if you brought in one hat, it will make a difference in the life of the child that gets it,” she said. Some hats also included a special note written by students.
The Alice in Wonderland-themed event was of course… a little mixed up!
As soon as students sat down at four decorated tables they learned they wouldn’t be there for long.
Every three minutes, students got up and rotated to a different table.
At the two red tables, students snacked on tiny cupcakes.
At the black tables, they visited the chocolate fountain table with yummy strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, and sprinkles.
Are you dizzy yet?
Students also tried guessing the flavors of tea they poured into their teeny tiny teacups.
They sampled iced strawberry lemonade tea, lemon tea, raspberry tea, peach tea, sweet tea, and green tea.
Eleven-year-old Taylor Fan brought in a white hat with a little bedazzle.
“My mom added a flower design, “ she said.
The sixth-grader said she had been to a tea party before, but never one at school.
Seventh grader Timothy Yang reported that he donated a baseball cap while sipping the lemon tea.
Seventh grade raffle winner Emily Chan also donated a baseball cap and was happy to bring her friend Rebecca Leung to the event.
Leung, also a 7th grader, brought in seven hats for the drive - four sun hats and three pink beanies.
Both girls have been touched by cancer in their young lives.
“I thought it was important to donate because my uncle died from cancer last year, “ said Chan.
“My friend has had leukemia twice now,” Leung added.
The tea party friends also shared one more thing after the event - their favorite tea, dessert and an In-N-Out hamburger lunch.
To cap off the Mad Hatter tea party, all the students went down the rabbit hole (elevator) with their principal!
Shown:
A dozen South Pointe Middle School students joined Principal Susan Arzola for a Mad Hatter Tea on October 7. The event celebrated a successful hat drive for young cancer patients. Shown with Rebecca Leung and Emily Chan.
South Pointe students sipped tea and munched on yummy snack during a Mad Hatter Tea.
South Pointe students and their principal jumped down the rabbit hole (elevator) after the Mad Hatter tea party on October 7.
During the mixed up Mad Hatter tea party, guests rotated tables every three minutes and guessed the flavors of tea. Pinky fingers up of course!