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The Math 1 classes at West Stanly Middle School recently participated in a math competition offered by Khan Academy called “LearnStorm.”

As part of the program, students mastered Math 1 concepts. Based upon the number of topics the students successfully completed, they earned prizes that benefited themselves as well as students across the world.

As each of the WSMS Math 1 classes (taught by Lorie Bell, Tammie Griffin and Pat VanHoose) completed assignments in Khan Academy, they earned gifts for families around the world. As a result of their efforts, UNICEF and its partners delivered a healthy meal to a United States family in need, delivered 25 water-treating tablets (each tablet treating 100 liters of water) to a community somewhere around the world without safe drinking water, provided jump ropes to children in a school, refugee camp or child-soldier rehabilitation center and delivered a healthy food packet to a malnourished child.

Because these students reached such high levels in the LearnStorm competition, they were also entered into a raffle in which Bell’s class won a $100 gift card to celebrate their own successes as well as a $100 credit to donate to school projects of their choice via the DonorsChoose website.

Bell’s students used their donation to provide 24 pairs of headphones to Pre-K students in a school in Los Angeles and to provide books for a high school social justice book club in Vermontville, Michigan. Both schools serve low-income areas in which almost all students receive free or reduced lunch based upon their families’ needs.

“I am so proud of our students’ hard work and that families around the world were able to benefit from their efforts,” Bell said. “I’m particularly happy that their DonorsChoose donations will help transitional kindergarten students be able to focus and learn during remote learning and will enable high school students to become more engaged in current social issues. The accomplishments of these Math 1 students exemplify our school’s mission.”