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M – middle school H – High school S – small schools L – large schools
Girls Learn International
Did you know March is Women’s History Month? What better way to honor them than blazing the trail to knock down cultural barriers? That’s exactly what the Churchill High School student council in New York, NY, aimed to do with its Girls Learn International (GLI) project. Through the GLI organization, students were paired up with a school in Cambodia to exchange cultural projects and letters. As students learned about the obstacles women face around the world through this correspondence, they worked to educate their local community about this issue through workshops and film screenings. H S L
Stop the Bird
March is Music in Our Schools Month, and Sun Valley High School in Monroe, NC, has developed a very unique way to celebrate. For an entire school week, the school plays the song “The Bird Is the Word” over the intercom system between classes and during lunch, much to the chagrin of most students, who find the music extremely annoying and bothersome. The goal is to collect donations from the student body throughout the week until $1,000 is raised. Once the school hits this goal, it stops playing the music. The money raised is donated to the Victory Junction Gang, a camp for physically and mentally handicapped children. M H S L
Shade Tree
Another great way to honor women is by helping those in need. The student council at Silverado High School in Las Vegas, NV, partnered with The Shade Tree-a domestic abuse shelter that provides homes, food, and other survival items for single mothers and children in need. The council visited the mothers and children, bringing snacks, arts and crafts for the kids, and even Christmas presents. H S L
Empty Bowls
The John P. Stevens High School chapter of NHS in Edison, NJ, collaborated with the National Art Honor Society to pull off its very own Empty Bowls event to help combat hunger. In this event, the NAHS supplied NHS with hand-designed ceramic bowls that were sold for $10 to all guests and filled with a modest offering of soup, bread, and salad donated by local restaurants and diners. The night of the event, students and teachers alike came out not only to buy a bowl, soup, and bread, but also to donate small amounts of money that would later be given to Edison’s chapter of Hands for Hope, which also fights hunger. The group raised more than $1,000! M H S
Dr. Seuss Read Across America
The NJHS chapter at Hernando Christian Academy in Brooksville, FL, celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading to kindergarten through second-grade classes. The NJHS members dressed as storybook characters including Cinderella, The Cat in the Hat, Tinker Bell, and Robin Hood. NJHS members read to individual children or groups of students in the school library. The children received pictures with the storybook characters and bracelets that read “Reading rocks!” M H S
And the Winner Is
The 2016 Academy Awards ceremony is February 28, but why watch it when you can live it? Harlan Community High School in Harlan, IA, held its own film festival called the “Barbie Awards,” where students made their own films, submitted them to the “academy”-comprised of both teachers and students-to be voted on, and attended an awards ceremony in their formal attire where the winning films were shown and Barbies (spray-painted gold) were awarded. H S
Community Easter Egg Hunt
The Marlow High School student council in Marlow, OK, co-hosts an annual Easter egg hunt for their community with the local chamber of commerce. The event is held at a nearby park the Sunday before Easter, and hundreds of children show up with their Easter baskets to find the hidden eggs. The council divides the park up into areas for different age groups, and one of the lucky student council members dons an Easter Bunny costume. H S L
Principal for a Day
Principal for a Day is an annual charity fundraiser held by the River Hill High School student government in Clarksville, MD. Students can win an opportunity to act as principal and assistant principal by submitting raffle tickets. Chosen students are allowed to spend one school day as his or her respective administrator. Not only is this activity a very effective fundraiser, it also increases student understanding regarding disciplinary actions and the principal’s daily routine. M H S L