School Bulletin: Giving Tuesday campaign fulfills teacher & student needs

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Students at St. Thomas More High School are in for some very cool field trips and classroom upgrades. The Catholic school raised more than $28,000 with its Giving Tuesday campaign -- surpassing its goal of $25,000.

Marketing and Communications Director Kevin Russell says the brainstorming sessions for Giving Tuesday began six months ago, and school officials consulted right away with the people who would benefit the most.

"The thing that brings our whole school together is our teachers," Russell says. "Our teachers have given such great experiences to all of our students."

The school dates back to the 1870s, but it utilized modern campaign tactics. On Giving Tuesday, the marketing team posted videos on social media featuring students and staff explaining what the donations would mean to them.

"We really, really appreciate your help," Biomedical Science Teacher Darlene Langhoff said in one video. "Our program continues to grow and grow. So, we are finding that we need more equipment for the nice labs that we do."

Russell says the money raised will help fulfill many teachers' wish lists, pay for fan buses to playoff games, future school trips and much more.

"We wanted to this year, not just include those teacher requests, but also things that were going to enhance the student experiences," Russell says. "Whether its games or clubs, or just that experience of going out and seeing Shakespeare at a theater."

Russell also says the St. Thomas More families and the vast alumni network really stepped up for this year's fundraising campaign, and the donations are also an investment in the entire school community.