6th Grade Water Walkathon Benefits South Sudan

Dressed in blue, members of the 6^th Grade Class walked through the Frelinghuysen Arboretum and then returned to campus for some additional laps on the MBS track as part of their “Walk for Water, Walk for Hope,” walkathon on Monday, June 3^rd. The event was designed to raise awareness about the need for clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education in the villages of South Sudan.

The students collected donations to support their efforts, and they raised more than $1,000 for the nonprofit organization “Water for South Sudan.” The charity was founded by Salva Dut, who was separated from his family during a civil war and trekked thousands of miles across South Sudan and Ethiopia.  His story, which is chronicled in A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, is one that all MBS 6^th Grade students read as part of their English curriculum. The novel also relates directly to the 6^th Grade Geography classes in their study of Africa and water themes.

“This is the first year that we are doing the walk and we are so thrilled with the response,” said Middle School English teacher Jackie Forte. “The students did a wonderful job making posters and generating excitement for the event, and we are so grateful to have such tremendous support from our MBS families.”