According to Principal Sallyann Tomlin, this looked like a good public service project for the student council.

"They divvied up the jobs, Tomlin said. "Some students took the job of spreading the word with posters, others got the wrappers. They do everything. They are working on an update thermometer type project right now to let us know how much has been raised."

According to Tomlin, penny drives can be very effective. Children scour their homes for loose change, shake down their relatives, and then move out to the neighbors. It can also be a lesson in economics. The children are learning about charity, and picked UNICEF to receive their donation. Counting is a good way to brush up on math and economics, and moving the pennies is just plain exercise.

"I've quit trying to lift the box," Tomlin said. "In just over a week and a half they have raised 200 pounds of pennies. We're going to have to break it down into moveable amounts. We wanted them to see that even pennies can become a giant contribution."

The drive ends at the end of the month. After that, they have further plans for the tsunami area.

"We are going to try and contact a school in south Asia to buddy up with," Tomlin said. "We already have a connection with a school in South Africa. We will be able to help them rebuild and recover and keep track of their progress."

Tomlin says there is a big jar in the office for anyone else who would like to help out. The students will take care of the counting and delivery. Just drop your change in.

"We wanted them to feel like they are part of the world community," Tomlin said. "This is really working out."

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