Theme School students give back The Newton County Theme School at Ficquett has been providing its students with service learning opportunities while giving back to the community this school year.
The Theme School’s Middle School recently started a Builders Club, which is being chartered by Kiwanis. Participating in the Builders Club helps students to learn leadership skills, as well as the importance of volunteering for different service projects that help to benefit the community.
One of the first events the Builders Club participated in was the “Change the World Day,” which featured local churches and businesses donating goods and services to the needy in our community. The Builders Club also teamed up with the Community Service Club to collect canned foods during the holidays.
“This is a great opportunity for our students to display their many talents as well as experience the importance of serving their community,” said James Meneguzzo, principal of Newton County Theme School at Ficquett. “This is also a great example of a partnership between a school and an organization that is looking to improve on the overall educational experience of our students.”
The Builders Club is the middle school chapter of the Key Club and is only one of two in the entire state of Georgia.
“What our members have learned this year as a part of the Builder’s Club is invaluable. They have opened their hearts to help the community, and have witnessed what true volunteerism means,” said Holly Kaas, one of the Builders Club sponsors. “In collaborating with organizations such as Hands on Newton and Keep Newton Clean and Beautiful, their leadership skills continue to grow. We plan to extend our presence within the community and our school next year with more service learning initiatives that they will hopefully carry with them into high school and beyond.”
The Community Service Club at the theme school is comprised of third through fifth grade students and is sponsored by Crystal Bruno. The club provides elementary students with the opportunity to participate in service learning projects that give back to the community as well as globally.
Last year, the Community Service Club did a collection for the military, where they collected a number of items. From non-perishable goods to other needed supplies, the club helped to support all that the men and women of the military do.
The theme school also has a Relay for Life team. The team has done a variety of fundraising activities in order to raise money in support of finding a cure for cancer. Many of the fundraising activities have involved the staff and the students doing activities, such as “Hat Day” and “Pink Out,” providing an opportunity for everyone involved to have fun while still bringing awareness to an important cause.
The team held a Student vs. Staff kickball game. In the end, the students came out victorious, but the real victory was in the money raised by the event and the awareness of how important the event was.
“We look to strive each and every day to provide the best educational experience possible in hopes that these and future service learning opportunities help our students to become successful, contributing citizens in whatever community they chose to live in,” Meneguzzo said.
