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Wake Up Wildcats program helps gives local teachers a morning jolt

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HARTINGTON — Waking up in the morning can be tough, but three days a week HartingtonNewcastle teachers can add a little pep to their step with Wake Up Wildcats.

Wake Up Wildcats is an educational coffee business run out of Pamela Anderson and Donna Davey’s classroom. Anderson and Davey inaugurated the Wake Up Wildcat program in the fall of 2019.

The program started with the intention of giving Nick McNear and Molly Hochstein a fun, educational activity that also helped the staff in some way.

McNear was a student at HNS who has now graduated, leaving Hochstein in charge of this activity.

Hochstein is in charge of making the drinks as requested. She is also responsible to deliver the drinks on time.

“My favorite part of doing this is delivering the coffees and talking to the teachers,” Hochstein said.

Some of the skills Hochstein has learned include keeping records of checks and cash paid by teachers and making bank deposits each week.

She has learned to be punctual and precise when it comes to accomplishing small tasks. She is also in charge of sending emails to teachers when their punch card is almost empty.

Teachers submit their orders of hot and iced coffee, tea, and hot chocolate through a Google form before 8:30 a.m. Then Hochstein, with the help of Paraprofessional Jeri Jacobs, delivers them.

HNS Math teacher Lori Peitz is a frequent customer of the Wake Up Wildcats Program.

“Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I look forward to having fresh brewed tea delivered to my classroom. The hit of caffeine is helpful for my day. I am always happy to see Molly pushing her cart up the hallway to my room,” Peitz said.

Anderson and Davey said the program will continue as long as there is a student to run Wake Up Wildcats.

Wake Up Wildcats has allowed Hochstein to give back to the community. In December 2020, she used proceeds from Wake Up Wildcats to purchase items for needy families through the Giving Tree.

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