Heart BEAT

Supporting Our Students During Standardized Testing

W

AITSBURG

- As the Waitsburg School District middle and high school students begin standardized testing each spring, they know they have support.

The Odako Club, a women's service organization that has been in town for about 60 years, assembles goodie bags and writes encouraging messages that are handed to students when testing begins.

"They know that somebody is encouraging them," said Jean Miller, a member of the Odako Club. "They know somebody took the time to wish them well."

The club has been assembling the goodie bags for students for many years, Miller said.

The membership of the club has always included a couple of teachers, so the goodie bags at the school was a natural idea, she added.

In March each year, the Odako Club members use club and private money to purchase the supplies and goodies for the bags. The bags are decorated with happy faces and say "Good Luck," and are tied with brightly colored yarn.

Inside the bags are two sharpened no. 2 pencils with extra erasers, five Jolly Rancher candies, one of each flavor, and a hand-written index card with an encouraging message.

One of the messages written on an index card this year says "Waitsburg Schools Get: Academics, Athletics, School Pride, Good Luck From Odako Club."

"The kids write us thank yous and tell us how much they appreciate it," Miller said.

Member Joan Helm takes 50 bags to the high school and 150 to the middle school for the kids during testing. And for about 14 or 15 members in the club, that's a lot of bags to assemble.

"The club has provided these for a couple years, and you should see the faces of the kids when they check their bags," said Waitsburg High School teacher Liv Leid. "They are so delighted! The (High School Proficiency Exam) is a highstakes test for the kids, and when they unpack the goodie bags, I can see the tension leave them. It really is calming, and they so appreciate the fact that the Odako Club members care so much about them and their educational process."

Miller said Odako is there to help the community.

Its biggest job is handing out a $750 scholarship to a deserving student each year. Also, the club helped the city of Waitsburg put up blooming flower pots on Main Street this year.

The club has previously purchased tables and chairs for Town Hall, Miller added.

The club holds a raffle each year during the Classic Auto Show event that serves as its biggest fundraiser and helps with the flower pots, scholarship and goodie bags.

"It has been very rewarding in many ways," Miller said of participating in the service projects like the goodie bags. "The goodie bags are an 'attaboy.' Whether we're two or one hundred and two, we always like to hear (encouragement)."