See how students and staff in the Fort Zumwalt School District are giving back this holiday season. 

Dardenne Elementary’s faculty staff and students are participating in a giving tree program. The donations are going to St. Joaquim and Ann Church as part of their adopt a family program. This collections ends on Dec. 8. 

Ostmann Elementary's student council ran a canned food drive in November and collected over 2,400 non-perishable goods to donate to HOPE Ministries in time for Thanksgiving. 

• Ostmann's PTO just completed an event called “Cookies with Santa” on Dec. 2. Families were asked to bring a canned good for admission to the event.  The Ostmann PTO donated 408 canned goods, also to HOPE Ministries from this event. 
• This Friday, Dec. 9, the students community will donate toys and bikes to the Salvation Army as part of their annual Salvation Army Toy Drive in an assembly at 9:30 a.m. In past years, students have donated up to 500 children’s toys and over 25 bicycles, skateboards and scooters to those less fortunate in the St. Charles County area. 

"We have done these things every holiday season since we opened our school in 2002.  It helps our students to really internalize the true meaning of altruism, responsibility and act of giving by actually 'doing,'" said Dr. Gregg S. Sartorius, principal of Ostmann Elementary. 

Mount Hope Elementary participates in an annual Giving Tree and adopts a number of local families each year. Ornaments are placed on the tree, with gift suggestions for these families. Mount Hope also runs a food drive at the same time to provide local families with food. Imo’s Pizza North donates pizzas to the class collecting the most canned goods. "We actually collect so many canned goods that we’re able to provide our adopted families quite a feast and still supply a local food pantry with a car full as well," Principal Sandy Baner said.  

Hawthorn Elementary is collecting toys through Friday, Dec. 9. New, unwrapped toys will be donated to the Salvation Army.  

• Hawthorn Elementary School also held a “Pennies for Pies” collection that allowed students to bring in their loose change and have a chance to throw pies at the faces of the Principal Nicole Shidaker and Administrative Assistant Teale Shearer. Over $1,000 was raised at the event and the proceeds benefit the food bank at Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service. 

Lewis and Clark Elementary  is participating in a “Giving Tree” for the holidays to help local families through the holidays. Several local families will receive gifts, food, gift cards to local stores to help them have a bright Christmas.  

• Lewis and Clark also collected food and donated more than 600 items to local food pantry, Oasis

Fort Zumwalt West Middle School's National Junior Honor Society sponsored a canned food drive to benefit the HOPE Ministries food pantry during the month of November. Students helped representatives from HOPE Ministries as they picked the items up on Monday, Nov. 21.

Fort Zumwalt South Middle School recently held their annual chili and soup cook-off. The meal was served in the library during the staff lunch times. For a donation, staff members could sample as many of the items as they wished. The event raised $600 to help make the holidays a little brighter for some of the South Middle School families.

Fort Zumwalt North Middle School also participates in the 12 Days of Giving, including three drives that benefit seven O'Fallon families. 

• Food Drive runs from Dec. 5-19 student bring in canned and boxed food. 
• The Giving Tree: students sign up to participate then receive an ornament. Gifts are turned in by Dec. 19. 
• Money Collection/Elf Spaghett: students are lead in teams and the team that raises the most "positive" fake money will eat Elf Spaghetti. The money collected goes towards gifts for the adopted O'Fallon families. 

Fort Zumwalt East High School will collect new toys from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 for Toys for Tots. All toys can be dropped off at the entrance to the gymnasium. 

• East High School is also conducting the Twelve Days of Giving, a drive where students and staff collect different items for twelve consecutive days and donate to various charities.

Fort Zumwalt North High School's Leadership Class participated in the “No Hunger Holiday” campaign. This event took place at the Cottleville Knights of Columbus Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The boxes were filled with turkeys, potatoes, canned goods, and many other items to benefit approximately 1,800 families in the area. 

• Fort Zumwalt North High School staff has also decided to adopt eight of their own local families to make their holidays a little brighter
• Students are currently involved in 10 Days of Giving,  a drive where students and staff collect different items and donate to various charities. 
• North student council will also host a “Freeze Out” on Sunday, Dec 11 from 12-3 p.m. at KMART in O’Fallon to support the Hope Food Pantry
• DECA students are hosting a “Pictures with Santa” activity for students, with all proceeds going to the Hope Food Pantry. 

Fort Zumwalt West High School  the 12 days of giving, lead by student council. Students and groups organize into teams to collect different items on 12 different days and everything goes to charity.

• Zumwalt West High School is also collecting canned goods, coats, toys, numerous items that they collect each year for Hope Closet. 

Fort Zumwalt South High School's student council leads an event called 12 Days of Giving. Students and groups organize into teams to collect different items on 12 different days and everything goes to charity.