Halloween Helpers

By Laurie Borst

Students in Newtown schools are no strangers to helping others. From kindergarten to twelfth grade, students at all the schools have ample opportunities to participate in activities focused on improving the lives of fellow citizens.

At Head O’ Meadow school, fourth graders have the option of participating in the School-Community Team (SCT). Among the duties these volunteers accept are serving as helpers for bus safety, delivering morning announcements, and leading monthly assemblies to report on what’s going on around school to the entire student population. And, they work on a community service project every month.

SCT was the brainchild of former HOM teacher Barbara Clark, who started the team 12 years ago, stated Julie Birch, a teacher/advisor for the team.

Along with Ms Birch, teachers Barbara Williams, Sara Washicko, Karen McLeod, and Denise Evans help guide the team in their activities.

The October service project involved, not surprisingly, the students decorating bags and filling them with candy, which will be distributed to children visiting the Dorothy Day Hospitality Home in Danbury on Halloween. Students, teachers, and parents donated the candy.

Other service projects the team has planned include: November, food drive for a local food pantry; December, mittens, hats, and scarves drive; January, making decorations for Ashlar’s Winter Wonderland Fest; February, valentines for soldiers; March, Mugs of Hugs, mugs filled with toiletries for Dorothy Day; and May, crafts for Chapman House.

On June 5, the teachers will plan a breakfast celebration to honor students’ hard work throughout the year.

“The Team offers a way to communicate, to build teamwork, school spirit, and help others,” Ms Williams explained.