Leadership Team from left to right: Ava Cox, Kaydence Bachelder, Peyton Handrahan, Elizabeth Schiche, Blake Aikens, Josh Finne, Skylar Love, Absent: Chase Ross, Brennan Mitchell. Paula Kane photo
STRONG — At MSAD 58’s Day Mountain Regional Middle School, community service has been at the top of the list of projects for the Student Leadership Team. This team organized a Food Drive which netted 529.4 pounds of canned goods and/or dried food for donation to Faith Works Community Outreach. The donations were delivered recently using a rather unique “hands on” format which encouraged the personal involvement of nearly 100% of the school population.
DMRMS gathered in front of Faith Works after delivering their donation of canned goods, etc. following their recent food drive. Paula Kane photo
On delivery day, participants formed a “bucket brigade”. As it turned out, there was a higher than usual number of absences that day because of illness. This resulted in a shorter line than anticipated and there were not enough members of the brigade to stretch all the way down the street from the school to Faith Works, a distance of about .3 mile. No problem. Participants walked just a little farther down the street from school to regroup at the Nazarene Church. The Leadership Team’s faculty advisor, Yolanda Smith, who is also the 7th and 8th graders’ math teacher, brought the goods to them there in the back of her pickup. From that point, each and every individual donation was passed from hand to hand right to the door of Faith Works.
Throughout the collection period, donations were gathered in each homeroom, grades 5 – 8, a total of fourteen groups of students. Additionally, a box was placed in the rotunda for random donations and the central office. At the end of the drive, members of the Leadership Team weighed each homeroom’s contributions. A prize was presented for the weightiest donation. This went to the 5th grade homeroom of science teacher Tom Piekart, whose students brought in 115 pounds worth of donations.
Day Mountain Principal, Margaret Adams, commented, “This event has helped build community awareness for our students in grades 5-8 and encouraged the importance of giving back to those who need a helping hand. Students felt a sense of ownership in this gift by personally handing off each item and then taking the tour (at Faith Works) and hearing about ways they could help out further. It was more than a food drive – it was an experience of school and community pride.”
The Leadership Team has carried out other projects throughout the past year, including Spirit Weeks and Pep Rallies during soccer and basketball season and making Christmas cards for Veterans.
“Every month, there’s something going on, whether big or little,” stated Mrs. Smith.
The group meets weekly on Fridays to brainstorm their next projects.
Other Clubs at DMRMS include School Newspaper, Outdoor Nature Trail Club, Quilting, Drama, Student Council, Dance, Card-making, Studio Art, Coding and Robotics, Sports, School Logo Design Team, and Cooking.
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