Amy Christensen's fifth-grade class had the highest total with 2,332 Pepsi Notes collected.
By Jolene Farley
Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary students blew the lid off their goal of 2,000 by collecting 11,270 Pepsi Notes in the Share the Joy with Music Program sponsored by Pepsi.
It was "just incredible," according to Elementary Music Instructor Jodi Ackerman.
"Monetary value is over $1,000 in equipment for the music program," said Ackerman. "We would never, never have been able to get these items on our own."
Share the Joy with Music is a new program created to help schools receive free, new instruments, sheet music, equipment, music-related software or any item to enhance a music education program.
Pepsi sets no limit on the number of "Pepsi Notes" that can be redeemed by each school. Pepsi partners with The National Association for Music Education and Internet retailer Music 123.com for the program.
Information about the program was available for Ackerman on the first day of school. "I asked Mr. [Superintendent Tom] Knoll if we could implement the program. We were leery at first to do the project because the school supports Coke products."
They then remembered the soup labels and box tops collected by students, according to Ackerman. These collections have helped the Elementary earn other items.
H-BC Elementary students began collecting "Pepsi Notes" from Pepsi products in November and continued collecting through the winter.
Ackerman set an original goal of 700 Pepsi Notes, hoping to be able to trade the notes for two music-orientated computer programs.
It soon became clear this goal would be surpassed so she raised the goal to 2,000 Pepsi Notes. "Of course we blew that out of the water," said Ackerman.
"I told my students to get their family involved," said Ackerman. "Call Grandma and Grandpa."
Students did just that. Parents enlisted the help of friends and relatives. A sixth-grade student's aunt and uncle saved notes at their lake resort.
When Worthington High School decided not to participate in the program but had already begun collecting notes, Sean Goedtel's father, John, who teaches in Worthington, brought more than 1,000 notes over to H-BC to add to the fifth-grade total. Cargill made a contribution and so did the South Dakota State Penitentiary.
Drop boxes were placed at Orv’s Station, Hills, and Rauk’s Market, Beaver Creek. Bonnie Sundem at Orv's Station played an instrumental part in the drop box total, according to Ackerman. She would ask customers who purchased Pepsi products if they wanted their notes. If they didn’t she would cut them off and deposit them in the drop box.
It is obvious everyone's hard work paid off by the total of 1,883 12-pack notes collected, 282 24-pack notes collected and 918 singles collected.
Notes must be sent in by Feb. 28, 2001. After Ackerman receives confirmation of the count she can order products from the catalog. The items will be delivered four to six weeks later.
An electronic keyboard, Music Ace 1 and 2 software packages, 25 boomwackers, two sets of small classroom cymbals, a set of bongo drums, a Cabesa, a Music Maker, a rhythm band kit with 10 elementary percussion instruments, three electric metronomes and a trumpet mute for the high school will be ordered because of the Share the Joy with Music Program.
"There are so many other things we could do, it is hard making a decision," Ackerman stated.
Ackerman had planned a popcorn party with the class that collected the most points, but when the donation came from Worthington High School upping the fifth-grade total substantially, Ackerman decided to include the top two classes instead of just the top class.
The fifth grade, with 2,332 notes, and sixth grade, with 1,944 notes, are invited to the party.
The kindergarten collected 856 notes, first grade, 860 notes, second grade, 1,075 notes, third grade, 1,555 notes, fourth grade, 947 notes, and the drop box total was 1,701.
"I want to thank everyone. They just really blew me out of the water," Ackerman said. "It was just incredible."