St. Thomas Academy

Food drive brings in 9,840 pounds

Each March for seven years, St. Thomas Academy has collected food for St. Paul's Neighborhood House as part of the Minnesota Food Share March Campaign, the largest food and fund drive in Minnesota. This year, students amassed 9,840 pounds of food and supplies as part of the school's Advocacy of the Hungry Food Drive, bringing the seven-year collection total to nearly 40 tons. Students collected food from their neighbors, friends and families for about one month.

In 2013, Neighborhood House's two food shelves gave out more than 860,000 pounds of food. Fifty percent of the 12,000 people served by the food shelves are children.

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage

Student is finalist for service award

Shrey Pothini of Savage, a fifth-grader at Harriet Bishop Elementary, was presented with a bronze medallion to recognize his selection as a Distinguished Finalist for Minnesota in the 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Pothini founded a community service club at his school when he was 9 years old that has grown into a group with more than 60 student participants. They have put in more than 3,000 hours volunteering.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The awards represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based only on community service.

All middle and high schools in the United States could select a student for the local award last November. Two state honorees and a select number of distinguished finalists from each state were chosen based on criteria such as personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

Members wanted for tech group

Students, parents and community members are invited to join the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district's technology advisory committee. Members serve along with teachers, principals and other employees.

The group meets three or four times a year and advises the district on its technology plans. The 2015-16 school year will be used to prepare for expanded use of technology. Additional technology funding will be available beginning with the 2016-17 school year, thanks to a recent voter-approved referendum.

Applicants don't need to be tech-savvy. People shouldn't join the group to sell or promote a technological product.

To apply, contact Doug Johnson at dajohnson@isd191.org or 952-707-2065.

Erin Adler