SLATER — Parents aren’t the only ones sending care packages to college students to ease the stress of finals week.

Some second-graders at Ballard West Elementary School in Slater will be visiting campus today to pass out care packages they made for Iowa State students.

“We made the care packages for them for their big spelling test [finals],” said Katlyn Brekke, 7.

Students interested in picking up a care package from the kids can stop by the West Booth on the ground floor of the Memorial Union this morning at 10:30.

“We only have 100 [care packages], so get there early,” urged Sue Severson, teacher of one of the two second-grade classes making the packages.

Severson said the idea for the care packages arose from an on-going project the children are participating in.

“We’re doing a character education program at our school … that teaches them how to be good students,” Severson said.

As part of the program, ISU students visited the school to talk to the youngsters.

“They talked to them about what makes a good student … things like you don’t wait to study until the night before a test, responsibility, respect and staying on task,” Severson said.

She said the college students left a positive impression on the children.

Brekke said the ISU students told them they should “study every night and every day.”

“If we get in college we might be able to do what they do,” said Becky Potter, 8.

Severson said another objective of the program is to teach the children a different aspect of community involvement every month.

“[The college students] taught us things like ‘You should pick up your messes,’ ‘Don’t do bad things,’ ‘Be nice to others,'” said Taylor Eichinger, 8.

So far, Severson said, the children have learned responsibility, respect and honesty. The care package project arose out of December’s topic of “concern for others.”

“They know you’re on your own [in college]. And, of course, they think that’s just awful — to be away from Mom and Dad,” she said.

She said the students wanted to do something to help the college students during finals week.

“We thought it would make the test easier … so it would take the pressure off,” Eichinger said.

The kids came up with several ideas before they decided on the items to include in the packages, and they said everything they chose has a specific purpose.

Students who pick up a care package will find useful items, such as a pencil and eraser, inside.

“They can take notes and practice their spelling words on a piece of paper with the pencil,” Brekke said.

The kids also put some practical health-care items in the bags.

“We got them medicine [Alka Seltzer] so they wouldn’t have stomachaches or headaches,” said Christopher Sievers, 8.

The kids said they think college students will find the samples of Alka Seltzer useful.

“When they’re going through the hard pressure, they won’t get the headaches, and they won’t fail the test,” said Christopher Schaudt, 8.

They also put in a package of tissues.

“We got them Kleenex — Puffs — so they wouldn’t have to walk up to the Kleenex box,” said Kellie Morrissey, 7.

The packages also contain items intended to lighten the load of finals a bit: a bag of M&Ms and a four-leaf clover “for luck.”

“I think they will like it, especially the eating stuff,” Eichinger said.