Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”- Helen Keller
It is said that great things in business are never accomplished by just one person, and it takes a true team effort for any business to succeed. This is a lesson we all should pay close attention to because a team is only as strong as each of its members; one cannot succeed without the other. Vanessa Akers, a first-grade teacher at Rose Hill Christian School, has been teaching her students about the importance of teamwork and giving back to the community since the beginning of this school year.
Akers explained, “I think at a very age, we need to instill the importance of giving to others. We are working on independence, and that we all have a part to play on a team. We all have a job to do, and it doesn’t matter how big or how little the job is because if we all don’t pitch in and do our parts then the job won’t get done. So, my goal this year has been to teach the students that a team cannot be successful if all its members aren’t pitching in to get the job done.”
Students of Akers first grade classroom have been working together all year long making, selling, and distributing lemonade in an effort to raise funds for various charitable organizations. Pricilla Hayes, grandmother to James Hayes, who is a student in Mrs. Akers first grade class, shared her thoughts on this wonderful and unique way of teaching: “This is just such a wonderful program. These kids have already raised $409 that they gave away for a mission trip. Today, they are presenting a check to our local firefighters. Not only are the kids learning how to work together as one unit, but they are also learning skills such as taking orders, counting money, filling orders, and how to be patient.”
This past Thursday, Mrs. Akers first grade class presented a check to members of the Ashland Fire Department. Anthony Cornwell, a member of the Ashland Fire Dept, shared with us, “I think it’s great to see these kids working together as a team… working together with a common goal. We are so humbled by this donation to the Ashland Fire Dept. It makes it even more special that its coming from this great group of kids.”
I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the students from Mrs. Akers first grade class, and here is what they had to say:
Wes- “My job is to be sign dancer, and I really like to dance because it’s fun and makes people.”
Jett – “I am the ice giver. I really like being able to earn money and give it to people.”
Isabella- “I deliver the cups to the customers. My favorite thing is the lemonade… it’s so yummy.”
Xavier- “I pour the lemonade in the cups. I like working with my friends, and we are helping people.”
Akers shared, “We do this every Thursday, and we start about 2:50 p.m. except for the last Thursday of the month, and every month we do something different with our money. We plan on using the money to help purchase items for those in need as well as use some of it for the Sunrise Ministries. We encourage the public to come out and help support these kids supporting our community.”