Tomorrow it’s back to school for Seattle Public Schools students, including those at West Seattle’s Gatewood Elementary, where 4th/5th-grade teacher Darren Radu shared some news and photos just before the break :

Gatewood students are completing their work on the Philanthropy Roundtable. Kids from grades K-5 came together to research organizations working for justice in the community, country, and world, in order to determine where to allocate a $1000 grant from last fall’s Penny Harvest. This year student leaders awarded Penny Harvest grants of $250 each to local organizations Nature Consortium and Southwest Boys and Girls Club, and $500 to the global relief group Save the Children Japan. Kids had some guidance from teachers, but did most of the research and made the final decisions on where to send the money themselves.

4th and 5th grade students have also been hard at work making paper cranes for Japan, supporting Students Rebuild. After a lot of patience and perseverance (it’s tougher than it looks to make those birds!), students folded 639 cranes to send, raising $1,278 in support of Japanese rebuilding efforts.

Thanks to all the families and community members for contributing to and supporting these efforts at Gatewood!

In case you’re wondering, the school year has two months left – according to the online SPS calendar, elementary and K-8 students’ last day is June 21st; for middle and high schools, it’s June 23rd.