Holiday Babysitting
As a community service project, the student council of St. Clair High School in St. Clair, MI, organized a holiday babysitting service. Held the first weekend in December, the day was designed to provide parents with a day to get their shopping done or complete other holiday preparations. Student council members supervised activities such as arts and crafts, movies, organized games in the gym, coloring in books and on the chalkboard, and play centers in the hallways. Lunch and snacks were provided. After lunch, Santa made a surprise visit to read a book. The service started at 10:00 a.m. and ran until 4:00 p.m. Parents paid $10 for the first child and $3 for each additional child.
Cash 4 Claus
Throughout the month of December, the student council at Lancaster Central High School in Lancaster, NY, held its annual Cash 4 Claus event, in which all male faculty members grew out their facial hair (aka their Santa beards) and collected money from students, colleagues, and family for doing so. All of the money was then donated to the Lancaster/Depew Youth Bureau’s Holiday Fund, which provides a holiday experience for families in the community who would otherwise go without. In 2015, the event managed to raise more than $2,000!
Beds for Kids
Members of the Carmel Christian School chapter of the National Honor Society in Matthews, NC, spent afternoons volunteering at the Beds for Kids warehouse by painting, cleaning, and sorting donations of furniture, blankets, sheets, pillows, and household items that were given to needy families within the Charlotte community. NHS members also collected new pillows, sheets, and blankets to donate to the organization throughout December, January, and February.
Books for All
NJHS members at Gorzycki Middle School in Austin, TX, participated in Scholastic Corporation’s All for Books fundraising campaign—a fundraiser where donations are used to purchase books at the campus book fair for the Dell Children’s Medical Center’s library. In addition to this fundraiser supporting the campus book fair and the children at Dell, for every dollar the campus raised, Scholastic donated one book to Kids in Distress—a charity organization. To start this program in your school, visit www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/content/programs/allforbooks.
Make Mondays Matter
Student council members at Red Hook High School in Red Hook, NY, are promoting positive school culture by coming up with activities for the school to participate in every Monday. These activities might be suggestions for helping others, recognition for doing something nice, school spirit activities, or collections for organizations. Council members decided to make the objective for the first Monday of the month an act of kindness, the second Monday featured a collection or donation activity, the third Monday promoted a contest between grades or homerooms, and the fourth Monday showcased a spirit day. Advertisements are posted on the student council activity board and announced on the morning announcements.
Princess Party
Student council members at Grayson High School in Loganville, GA, put on a Princess Party to raise money for Relay for Life, which supports the American Cancer Society. The girls who attended were daughters of teachers at Grayson and their friends, who were all in kindergarten through third grade. They charged $10 per girl, and this money went straight to Grayson’s Relay for Life club. Several stations were set up with activities for the participants, and girls from the student council also dressed up as princesses and helped run the stations.
Exam Week Breakfast Treats
January, for a lot of schools, means midterms. The student council at Woodgrove High School in Purcellville, VA, decided to brighten up their sometimes-dreaded exam week. The weekend before exams began, members of the council bought such items as Pop-Tarts, granola bars, and applesauce in bulk from a local wholesale store. During the week, tables were set up in the main lobby of the school and the goodies were put out for people to grab as they entered the building and headed to their first class. With music blasting as the students walked in, they were warmly greeted and encouraged to take a tasty treat to get their day started right.
A Night of Comedy
Fossil Ridge High School student council members in Fort Collins, CO, hold an annual event called Wednesday Night Live—a show that promotes student engagement and spirit through the performance of comedy skits by students. Members of the student body are encouraged to participate in an approved “Saturday Night Live” skit, or to create an original piece to perform. Each year a large portion of the student body attends the event and there is a shared feeling of rejuvenation and enthusiasm following the show. The event is free to attend as a way to give back to the students and staff and provide an opportunity to relax during the dark, stressful days of January and February.