Nowhere is the tradition of service in Crownsville any stronger than in our schools. Our area’s schools care for the community throughout the year and during the season of giving. Helping its own community is integrated into the mission of each school. Millersville, South Shore, Rolling Knolls Elemetary Schools, Indian Creek School, and Rockbridge Academy share their stories.
Millersville Elementary
At Millersville Elementary, students and faculty jump-started the giving with a Thanksgiving Food Drive. They collected canned goods and donated them to four families at the school. With December they focused efforts through the Sharing Foundation’s program to help the working needy. The school collected new, unwrapped toys, books, and educational items.
The mitten tree in the lobby was a source of delight for students according to Stacey Philips, guidance counselor and coordinator of the service efforts. Students brought mittens, gloves, hats and scarves and added to the tree each morning. They were thrilled as the tree’s “decorations” grew.
Teachers and staff became family sponsors with gifts of toys and clothing that piled high in a corner. A parent sponsored a member of U.S. Air Force stationed in the United Arab Emirates. Care packages of gifts and supplies were sent for the holidays. The decorated collection box in the lobby accepted daily deposits and served as a reminder to keep the men and women of our Armed Forces in our thoughts.
South Shore Elementary
At South Shore Elementary, service projects stretch throughout the year through the school’s human relations committee. The committee’s teacher members, first grade teacher Hilary Jump and second grade teacher Erica Lindsay join student members in their “We Care and Share mission. Students collected 825 pounds of food for the fall Harvest for the Hungry.
In 2009 they’ll collect Pennies for Patients for Leukemia and Lymphoma. They’ll make valentines for Crownsville’s Fairfield Nursing Home residents and will collect Pennies for Pandas to adopt a panda from the zoo for their environmental awareness program.
Indian Creek School
Indian Creek School continues with a 35-year giving tradition for the surrounding community. Parent Teacher Organization volunteers helped coordinate efforts schoolwide. Pre-kindergarten through twelfth students participate in the Holiday Sharing Food Drive supporting the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and Resource Center and families identified within the school’s community.
In addition, each grade level or division supported an area charity. This year Lower School students collected gifts and items requested by Sarah’s House, Hope House, Second Genesis, Eastern Point Boys Shelter and Home, and Fairfield Nursing Home. Students brought their gifts, wrapped and unwrapped, for delivery to or pick up by the charities.
Middle and Upper School students worked through their student government associations. Middle Schoolers stuffed backpacks with clothing and supplies for Giving Back…a Homeless Mission started by Crownsville resident Linda Greenberg. The Upper School for the fifth year helped residents at nearby Chrysalis House.
Rockbridge Academy
Rockbridge Academy supplements its values as a classical and Christian school with a strong belief in the importance of blessing the community through giving. The Rockbridge Chorale, a middle school group, sang at the Assisted Living Well Compassionate Care facility in Millersville earlier this month. They spent time visiting with the residents and ended their visit with hugs all around. The Rockbridge Kantorei, the high school choir, performed a week later.
Honoring those who have served or are serving their country led to the first grade “adoption” of Commander Mark Plaster, USNR. Commander Plaster is a local emergency room doctor on active duty in Iraq with the U.S. Marines.
They regularly send care packages. In return, Dr. Plaster writes with updates of his work in Iraq. Grammar School students have been writing letters of encouragement and thanks to injured service members recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center hoping that their letters will encourage physical and emotional recovery.
Eleventh graders collected Christmas gifts for the women and children living at Sarah’s House or on the waiting list. Earlier eighth through twelfth graders collected gifts in shoeboxes as part of Operation Christmas Child. Spanish students visited the Rainbow Adult Care Center in Gaithersburg giving gifts of Christmas carols, cards written in Spanish and candy.
Rolling Knolls
Finally, Rolling Knolls School focused on helping the working needy in their own school community. They, too, worked through the Sharing Foundation. School counselor Katie McCord worked with ten families to make application to the Foundation for support. The school acted as the liaison between the families and the Foundation forwarding applications, wrapping gifts and making deliveries.
They helped eleven other families through the Annapolis Fire Department’s Santa Run. Firefighters brought the gifts they collected to Ms. McCord. She either delivered the gifts or helped the families with pick-ups.
The staff helped two families who were not picked by social services. They collected food and gifts to help these working needy.
The school staff took fifteen needy students to breakfast with Santa at St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. They sang songs, and each student received a $20.00 gift card from Target.
The gift cards will help the students provide gifts for their families. Rolling Knolls helped out with a flea market. They collected terrific new and gently used items at the beginning of the school year. Students used their “rocket dollars” earned for good behavior for a 20 minute shopping spree. Ms. McCord described it chaos but a blast! The children enjoyed shopping, and jewelry for mom was an especially big hit.
Anne Arundel County Food Bank and Resource Center
If you’d like to help someone, the Anne Arundel County Food Bank and Resource Center on the Crownsville Hospital grounds will accept your gifts of food, cash, and gently used items and get them to those who need them. Or, you can literally give of yourself. On January 7 from 4:00 – 7:30 p.m., the AAMC Bloodmobile will be at Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church, 921 Generals Highway. For an appointment call 410-987-4273 or Drive Chair, Mary Collins at 410-674-7596. Make giving a 2009 resolution.