Measure of success: As part of a math lesson, Baldi Middle School sixth-graders make blankets for kids who live in homeless shelters. Here the class gathers around some of their blankets. MARIA POUCHNIKOVA / TIMES PHOTOS
Sixth-grade students at C.C.A. Baldi Middle School last week donated blankets they made to kids who live in homeless shelters.
Those children might move from place to place and not have anything to call their own, said pupil Mariya Sulima. “The blankets are something that will always be theirs,” she said.
About 90 Baldi pupils in three math classes put some real effort into the donations, said Mary Salamone, one of their teachers. They raised money to buy soft fabric, which they measured and cut to make blankets of varying sizes. The “Baldi Blankets” were given to the Salvation Army’s Eliza Shirley House, a temporary shelter in West Philadelphia, Salamone said.
Did you spot the math theme to the pupils’ community service project?
To get the money needed for the fabric, the students sold lollipops, chains and beads, said pupil Alvin Fennell. Salamone said teachers donated the lollipops, and some of the kids brought in the other items they sold.
Teacher Kim Croes said the pupils raised $200 to buy soft, fleecy fabric.
“We got rulers” to measure the fabric, said pupil Shawn Poore.
The blankets they made weren’t all the same size, said pupils Brian Serjani and Philip Brosof. Some were 3 feet by 3 feet, some were smaller. The largest was a colorful 3 feet by 4 feet.
Pupil Allie Riggs said the soft fabric was easy to cut, and Olivia Salvatore said their efforts yielded 13 blankets. The Baldi pupils didn’t put only blankets in the gift bags; they put in books, too, said Priscilla Koshy.
They did it all in three weeks, Alvin said.
Besides teacher Kim Croes and Mary Salamone, the Baldi blanket-makers were helped by Assistant Principal Renee Flehinger, Assistant Principal Crystal Gary-Nelson and Principal Eugene McLaughlin. ••
Honoring our heroes: Officers John Higgins (left), and Bill Killian (right) are pictured with 7th District Commander Capt. Joseph Zaffino. The two were honored after they captured an alleged serial burglar. WILLIAM KENNY / TIMES PHOTO
