By Hatton Littman
Penny Wars is an annual fundraising
campaign at Ophir School spearheaded
by the Middle School Student
Council. This fall, the 12-member
council voted to send Penny Wars
funds to the Central Asia Institute
(CAI), which is based in Bozeman
and works to build
schools in remote Pakistan
and Afghanistan.
From March 1-11, Big
Sky’s Penny Wars became
part of Pennies for Peace
(P4P), a growing international
campaign of
over 11,000 schools and
organizations that have
raised over 535 million
pennies.
Student Council President
Trevor House said, “It introduces
how other people in the world
don’t have the lives that people in
Big Sky do. It introduces new ways to
give to people who aren’t as fortunate
as people in our school are.”
Council Treasurer, Bella Butler, and
Secretary, Dasha Bough, added,” It
means a lot to those kids because they
haven’t been given the same opportunities
that we have. To be given
this opportunity gives them more
hope for the future. This shows those
students that there are people who
care about them and that they are
appreciated.”
Traditionally, funds from Penny
Wars were donated locally to Heart
of the Valley Animal Shelter.
This year’s fundraiser
takes a more global approach
and also connects the entire
school with a cause linked to
our curriculum. In primary
grades, students are doing a
reading Around the World
program; the second grade
class is sending coats, clothing
and supplies to children
in Afghanistan; the sixth
graders are studying India
in World Geography and
the High School students
study the entire Middle East in their
Interdisciplinary Block 1 and 2.
Ophir School District is so pleased
to receive the support of All Saints
Fellowship, bringing the world into
our classrooms.
Hatton Littman is the film/video
teacher at Big Sky’s Ophir School and
Lone Peak High School. She is also
faculty advisor to the student council.
