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St. Jude’s Math-a-thon
April is Math Awareness Month. A math teacher at Roy W. Martin Middle School in Las Vegas, NV, called upon the student council to help him with organizing and funding a St. Jude Math-a-thon, a project where students seek sponsors and solve math problems in a workbook provided by St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The students—with the help of their math teachers—were hard at work for two weeks solving the problems. The sponsorships and donations totaled almost $1,200 for a great cause! H S L
Family Fun Night
Celebrate Library Week (April 10–16) by coordinating this fun activity. The National Honor Society at Richfield High School in Minneapolis, MN, collaborated with the local library to sponsor a family night held at the library, park, and community center. The evening consisted of golf, bonfires, story readings, and an informal dance for middle level and elementary students. H S L
Green Day
St. Mary’s Catholic High School’s student council in Phoenix, AZ, attended an event called “A Day at Encanto Park.” Organized by the city of Phoenix, the event is held to promote environmental awareness and the importance of trees. During the visit, student council members went to three different booths where they were taught something special about trees. At one booth, they learned how to prune a tree properly without damaging it; at another they learned about the imperative role trees play in wildlife. The last booth taught them how to plant a tree so that it would most likely maintain good health. At the end of the day, all the students helped to plant a tree at the park. Remember, both Arbor Day and Earth Day are in April! M H S
Heart Attack
April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day. Student council members at Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, LA, showed their appreciation by cutting hearts of various sizes (about four per person) out of red construction paper and writing a short note of appreciation or thanks on at least two of them. They then “attacked” the desk of their front-office secretary by plastering all the hearts around her work area. In the center of her desk, they left a large sign that read, “You have been heart attacked. We love you, Student Council.” The secretary was positively touched. Tip: Keep this going all year long! Pick a different staff member each month to “attack” to let them know their work is appreciated. M H S L
Get Fit Friday
Students at Boca Raton Community High School in Boca Raton, FL, decided to host a special event with the Addison Mizner Elementary School’s after-school program. The event, held on a Friday, offered six stations that each featured a different physical activity for the elementary students, including kickball, jump rope, basketball, zumba, and even Simon Says. The high school students also prepared a well-balanced snack of sliced apples, pretzels, and a water bottle accompanied with a note thanking the kids for participating. Don’t forget that May is Physical Fitness Month! H S L
Appreciate Your Heroes
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2–6. Consider honoring your fellow teachers by taking a cue from Harlan Community High School in Harlan, IA. Students were instructed to secretly write notes to faculty members thanking them for what they do or telling them how they have been a positive influence. Students also took photos of all faculty members and made a video set to music that showcased some of the student notes. The student council then held the surprise “Hero Assembly,” where the video was played and teachers each received a gift bag with the notes, an apple, and a key chain with the school logo. Students also read off the character traits of a hero and told each faculty member how he or she was a true hero to the school. Teachers were very moved by the ceremony. M H S
Spring Fest
To celebrate the end of the school year and provide an opportunity for students to sign each other’s yearbooks, the National Honor Society at Brussels High School in Brussels, IL, hosts a Spring Fest each May. NHS provides competitive activities such as volleyball, water balloon toss, tug-of-war over a mud pit, and trivia contests. Competitions are held between classes, and the winning classes get an early dismissal and candy. NHS members also set up a barbecue and sell hamburgers and hot dogs to cover the expenses of the day. H S
Stuff a Bus
The student council at Ennis High School in Ennis, TX, holds a districtwide competition to stuff a school bus full of materials for Helping Hands of Ennis, a charity that collects food, clothing, and household items for the needy. Each school had the bus on its campus for four days, and students were challenged to fill it with nonperishable food items, coats, and blankets. Student council members weighed the bus at the end of the four days. Coats, blankets, and money were counted based on a scale that provided equal weight value: a dollar was worth eight pounds, a new coat 186 pounds, and a new blanket 136 pounds. The school that collected the most was recognized as the Champion Collector and received free drinks provided by Coca-Cola. M H S L
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