NORWICH – Along with the expected skills of reading, writing and arithmetic learned in the classroom, select students at Perry Browne Intermediate School have also spent the year learning about ways in which they can help their community at a young age.
Since October, students in grades 3-5 who are involved with the Student Leadership Club at Perry Browne have eagerly reached out to the community, not only benefitting those in need of a helping hand, but also providing those students invaluable insight as to how they can refine their school and their hometown.
The Perry Bowne Leadership Club meets on a biweekly basis to discuss ideas that range from ways to improve their school store, to ways of helping those who need help the most. Under the leadership of club advisors Julie Salerno and Heather Frink, the club has participated in a number of charitable efforts and students tackle a new project every month.
“This is a club that has been around for a while, but it’s always been focused on ways to help within the school,” explained Frink. “This year, we really wanted to make it more of a community-based organization ... I tell them we want to leave our footprint in the community of Norwich.”
In previous months, students of every learning level have worked hands-on with a number of organizations within the community through a variety of charitable endeavors, including a food collection with Chobani in October, and another collection of food and other essentials with local food pantries in January. In November, the group took a mini field trip to Price Chopper in Norwich to shop for Thanksgiving trimmings to assemble Thanksgiving baskets that were donated to needy families in the area; and in December, students took a trip to Wal Mart to shop for clothing and other essential items to donate to the school district’s annual holiday clothing drive.
The club’s project this month is collecting items to send to soldiers overseas. Students spent Monday afternoon writing letters to the troops, thanking them for their loyalty and courage, and will soon shop for items including toiletries, snacks and movies to bundle in a care package to be sent out later this month.
And in March, students will make a visit to the Chenango SPCA and undertake a collection of items to donate to local animal shelter – the most exciting project of the year, according to many of the kids.
Although each collection starts with this select group of students, efforts spread school-wide as each student in the Leadership Club acts as an ambassador to their homeroom class, soliciting donations from other their peers who want to pitch in.
“A lot of people don’t have the kind of stuff we collect,” said fifth grader Shayne Webster, adding that being involved with the Student Leadership Club gains him a sense of self-satisfaction by knowing he helped those in need. “We realize how lucky we are to have these things when other people don’t,” he said.
“It’s a lot of fun,” added Emily Hague, another of the 46 kids involved in this year’s Student Leadership Club. “I’m happy we get to help people.”
Frink said while students take trips to local community-based organizations throughout the year, plans are in the works for a final trip that the students can enjoy as a token of appreciation for their hard work. “Last year, we took them bowling and the year before, it was swimming at the Norwich Y,” she said. “We want to do something that they’ll enjoy as a way to say ‘thank you for your help’.”