March 4 Meals
During the month of March, student council and NHS students at Silver Stage High School in Silver Springs, NV, participate in a five-mile walk to raise money to provide food for their local senior center. Community members are also invited to participate in this activity for a great cause.
Aid for Flint
NJHS students at Caroline Middle School in Milford, VA, hosted a “Pack the Pallet” water drive to provide clean water to residents of Flint, MI, and Tappahannock, VA. The group set out to collect a minimum of 150 cases of water by March 23, 2016. They more than doubled their goal! A total of 410 cases of water were donated and packed onto a school bus (for the Virginia donation) and a U-Haul truck (for the Michigan donation), each driven by a teacher who volunteered to deliver the water personally.
Test Prep & Bubble Wrap
For many schools, the end of March is met with a sense of dread, as it signals end-of-instruction testing time. The student council at McAlester High School in McAlester, OK, decided to host an assembly made up of humorous skits that illustrated various ways students could best prepare themselves for the trying times ahead. While the assembly was going on in the student activity center, MHS student council members worked in the hallways of the building, taping rolls of bubble wrap to the floors. When the student body left the assembly to head back to class, they were met with signs directing them to pop as many bubbles as they could. Five minutes of laughter and chaos ensued. Everyone was happy, a little less stressed, and a little more ready to face those exams.
Tip: Discuss cleanup with your custodial staff so they’re not caught off guard!
Students Teaching Teachers
Student council members at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, MO, took on the role of teachers during a series of computer workshops offered to staff. Members sent out an invitation that offered four programs, each presented as a one-hour class after school: basic computer use, PowerPoint presentations, web page design, and Microsoft Publisher. One or two students taught each course, with six to eight other student helpers in the room. According to Ann Bolzenius, student council adviser, “Kids love showing off their computer knowledge, and teachers appreciate the opportunity to learn a new skill or program.”
All-Night Volleyball Tournament
The student council of Seneca Valley Senior High School in Harmony, PA, sponsored an all-night volleyball tournament as a fundraiser for Shriners Hospital for Children, which was selected by the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils as the state project. The group raised about $1,000 by charging co-ed teams (including a faculty team) a minimum $40 donation to play. More than 200 students participated. The tournament started on a Friday night at 11:00 p.m. and ended at about 6:00 a.m. the following morning.
Kidnap the Teacher
The student council of Ada High School in Ada, OK, organized a campaign to kidnap a teacher last spring as a fundraiser. Members collect money from every teacher’s classes each period for a week, keeping track of the total collected for each class. At the end of the week, student council officers bring a substitute teacher into the classroom of the teacher whose students raised the most money. They wheel the teacher away for an hour off, and the class gets a party.
Senior Trunk Raffle
A unique raffle at Medway High School in Medway, MA, had student council members soliciting donations of necessities for college dorm life. Once all donations are collected, council members fill a trunk with the products and sell raffle tickets to seniors and their parents. One lucky winner gets the trunk when his or her name is called at the senior banquet.
The Adjective Wall
At the end of the first three nine-week grading periods, National Honor Society members at Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy, AR, pass out forms to every teacher asking them to choose one student to recognize who wouldn’t usually receive recognition. Then they must pick an adjective that describes that student. After the forms are collected, NHS members write each student’s name on a paper brick along with the positive adjective. They align the bricks on a wall in the school where everyone can see them.