S. Lebanon elementary students collect 1,000+ cereal boxes for food pantry

Students at South Lebanon Elementary School collected more than 1,000 boxes of cereal in a campaign to provide food for needy families in the area.

But first, students had the fun of lining the boxes up and knocking them down like Dominos in a long, convoluted labyrinth through the school.

“March MAZEness grew out of South Lebanon Elementary’s desire to meet real needs in our community while intentionally teaching students the importance of kindness, empathy, and compassion,” John Mohn, an enrichment and gifted education teacher at South Lebanon, told LebTown in an email. “Throughout the month, our school focused on building these character traits in meaningful ways.”

According to a press release from Amy Rose Wissinger, communication and media relations coordinator for Cornwall-Lebanon School District, the project launched March 2 during Read Across America Week, when the school celebrated reading with the theme “Reading is Cereal-ously Amazing.”

“This playful theme helped introduce the idea of collecting cereal boxes while encouraging students to develop a love of reading and literacy,” Wissinger said in the release.

Throughout March, students collected boxes of cereal for the campaign. Their goal was to exceed 1,000 boxes, Wissinger said, with all donations going to the Market on 7th, a food pantry operated by Lebanon County Christian Ministries, at 250 S. 7th St., Lebanon, to support families in need throughout Lebanon County.

LCCM executive director Bryan Smith said in the release the supply will fill the pantry’s shelves for two weeks.

“Before the cereal reaches local food pantry shelves, however, students will celebrate by using the donated boxes for a unique and exciting activity: building a massive cereal box domino course that will weave its way throughout the school hallways!” Wissinger said in the release.

The course was launched in front of students and staff at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, at the school at 1825 S. Fifth Ave., Lebanon.

Mohn, according to Wissinger, designed the program to combine service with hands-on educational opportunities.

“March MAZEness gives students a fun way to make a real difference in our community,” Mohn said. “They’re not only helping local families but also applying skills they’re learning in the classroom. Students are practicing math skills by graphing cereal donations and tracking collections by grade level, while also exploring science and engineering concepts as they design and build the domino course using cereal boxes.”

The event highlights the core values of the South Lebanon Falcons, Wissinger noted, “encouraging students to practice kindness, teamwork, and community awareness.”

Mohn said momentum for the food drive “continued all month long with daily kindness tips shared during morning announcements, reinforcing the values behind the project.”

“Our school found multiple ways to get involved,” he added. “During our Book Bingo event, families contributed cereal donations, and our Parent Teacher Partnership played a key role in supporting the initiative. In addition, students created a large ‘cereal box graph’ in our instruction room, allowing them to track progress and see the impact of their efforts grow each day.”

By the end of the campaign, he said, they had collected 1,063 boxes. “It was a huge group effort,” he said, citing efforts by the “entire school community – students, families, staff, (and) local businesses.”

The culminating event went well, Mohn said.

“It was an exciting event!” he said in an email. “Students and staff cheered not only as the boxes fell, but also in celebration of being part of a school community that demonstrates kindness and helps others.”