Students learn in several ways and in different contexts while they are at school. During this time of year, we work as a school to cultivate a spirit of generosity. This year, we exceeded all of our expectations:
- Students donated 830 canned goods to donate to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries (students in the Hixson at Work club worked to load these canned goods into a delivery truck),
- Students donated $4000 in cash and coin that we used to buy gift cards to donate to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries and to share with Hixson families in need,
- Teams adopted several holiday families this year and were able to meet all of the needs of these families through generous donations (This includes calling local business to advocate for donations as well; in one instance, a business donated two twin beds because a student called and asked on behalf of her team’s holiday family), and
- Donations continue to come on in even as I post this blog (I just saw one of our families bringing in a bed).
Cultivating a habit of giving also cultivates a spirit of interdependence. Students were able to see their donations add up, not only physically in terms of the space they took up in classrooms, but also through other means (like a thermometer that tracked the number of donated canned goads). Students were also able to see that consistent small acts of giving can add up in big ways (as a school, we had $1,100 dollars in change alone). When we work interdependently, we foster altruism and a commitment to the common good. Teenagers struggle to understand and to have vision beyond themselves. Projects that result in such generosity gives them tangible feedback on ways they can offer support immediately and in their own communities.
In addition to being proud of our students’ work with this project, I am proud of some diligent work we have engaged in as a faculty as well:
- We have spent time, building wide, engaging in learning about and reconsidering our units of study in the building (this work will be ongoing),
- Teachers shared their input regarding team changes for next year,
- Our discipline is noticeably down as compared to the last two years, and
- The interim between Thanksgiving and Winter Break has been productive for students and teachers (although as one teacher put it today, “They are all being held together with tape today”).
I am looking forward to see our production of The Pirates of Penzance on Saturday and then returning to school for two days before our winter break begins next week.
Have a great weekend!
