Holiday Giving in Wicomico County Public Schools

Before heading home from school for the start of the winter break Wednesday, Dec. 22, many Wicomico students and staff took time to ensure a better holiday for families, students and even pets in the community.

Giving by Wicomico students, families, staff and schools will brighten the holidays for many in Wicomico this year. Here is a sampling of the many special efforts and activities.

All Wicomico elementary schools participated in the 2010 Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign by sending students home with specially printed paper milk cartons to fill with coins or bills and return to school. The Salvation Army picked up the cartons this week and will add the amount in the cartons to its tally for the 2010 campaign.

Fruitland Primary guidance counselor Diane Washington-White coordinated with the Jaycees, The Elks, and other community organizations to ensure that school families in need were helped. The staff held a casual day to assist a family in need.

Pemberton Elementary did "Pandas for Paws," a drive which collected items for the Humane Society of Wicomico County. Classroom ambassadors helped load the donated items on Dec. 1 at Pemberton.

North Salisbury Elementary third-grade Magnet students rang the bells at a Salvation Army kettle for five hours on Dec. 10. Students in grade 5 Magnet made holiday cards for the children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, brought in donations for the Christian Shelter, Maryland Food Bank and Humane Society of Wicomico County, as well as Secret Santa gifts that the school counselor can tuck into the book bags of students. Classes also made holiday cards for veterans at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington. STARS after-school students made holiday thank you cards to give to the local volunteer firefighters for their help in keeping families safe during the holidays. Staff members donated funds to help provide food, clothing and toys for NSS students and families. Mentors made special gift purchases to surprise the students they mentor. In January, the school will promote a campaign to donate hats, scarves and gloves to give to students who don’t have these cold weather items.

West Salisbury Elementary’s two faith-based partners, Wesley Temple United Methodist Church and St. Paul AME Zion Church, adopted a West Salisbury family.

The Salisbury Middle School A-Team, students and staff collected $874.06 for the Salvation Army through an in-school kettle drive. Students were able to donate their Eagle bucks. For every 10 eagle bucks an outside sponsor donated $1. Staff and students worked together to collect for this most needed cause. Salisbury Middle’s CARES Department assisted multiple families through a grant given by the Community Foundation. More than 50 individuals were assisted with Christmas gifts. Salisbury Middle’s Art and Crafts Club created stockings for the nearby nursing home, and the Ladies Club created flower arrangements for the nursing home at Thanksgiving time.

Wicomico Middle’s Students for Service (SFS) is a new club at Wicomico Middle for students who want to help make a difference in our school, community and the world. Students have an opportunity to bring others together for projects of their interest. Douglas B., a member of SFS, shared with others that his older brother is a soldier serving in Afghanistan. He suggested collecting items and sending them to the soldiers who are willing to risk their lives to support our country. SFS implemented Project CARE, which encouraged all Wi Middle school students, families and staff to bring in items to send to his brother's troop, to make sure the soldiers know how much Wicomico Middle School appreciates them. Coming together, to make a difference is what Students for Service is all about. SFS looks forward to many other projects. Elsewhere at Wicomico Middle, the newly founded SGA held a canned food drive in November that collected more than 500 canned goods, which were donated to the local Christian Shelter. The SGA sold "Candy Grams" during lunch – 50 cents for students to write a message to a friend on a candy cane, with proceeds going toward the needs of a student and family for the holidays. The Guidance Office is continued its annual Angel Tree campaign, where staff chose a needy WMS student and bought gifts for him or her.

James M. Bennett High School’s Club Hope (Environmental Club) made holiday cards and sent them to an alumnus serving in Afghanistan, for him to share with his buddies. The Child Development Class at JMB is collecting new infant care items for the Life Crisis Shelter, to deliver in January. Also in January, the Technology Management for Family Wellness Course will create fleece hats to donate to a local shelter for homeless people. Her students will vote on what shelter they will "adopt". Media Center Specialist Angie Langan coordinated a staff effort to collect six copier boxes of edible and nonedible items to send to alumnus Brian Engler and his troops in Afghanistan.

Parkside High School collected $1,152 for the Bless Our Children campaign, getting students in on the action of dropping coins into jars to reach this all-time high. The SkillsUSA Organization conducted its annual food drive throughout Parkside High from Dec. 6-17 with the food going to the Redman Lodge in Fruitland for its Christmas Basket give away for needy families in the Wicomico County area. In 2009, SkillsUSA collected almost 4,000 items through the drive, enough for the Redmen to increase giving to 100 Christmas baskets, and the need this year was even greater.

Wicomico High participated in many activities to support the community during the holidays, including a food drive by Mu Alpha Theta, but WiHi is saving one big project for January. The SGA will do a school-wide service-learning project called "Shoe Boxes for Salisbury." The students would like to address a need in the community for hygiene supplies and toiletry items at our local shelters and safe houses. The students will collect travel size shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. and wrap them in a shoe box to present as a gift to the shelters and safe houses.

Central Office staff turned out with checkbooks in hand for the annual holiday auction and raised approximately $2,100 for Wicomico school families in need. Six families received gift cards and food donations to help them have a happier holiday. The Central Office also held a casual day for the Maryland Food Bank, and Administration bypassed an office gift swap in favor of donations to Operation Outreach, sending $250 to this effort to send care packages to front line soldiers hospitalized in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.