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The Volunteer Spotlight

 

May 2012 -Howe Student Leadership Group

By Angie Loucks, Volunteer Center Coordinator

 

 

About the Howe Student Leadership Group:

  1.  Name:  Howe Elementary School Student Leadership Group
  2. Nominating Agency:  the Student Leadership Group Advisors
  3. Location:  Wisconsin Rapids
  4. When started:  2009
  5. How many members:  16 students (two students are elected per classroom in grades 3-5)
  6. Activities:  visited Renaissance Assisted Living Center, raised money for the Neighborhood Table, participated in “Spring into Action Day”, performed skits about bullying, organized Sprit Days and a school social dance, candy cane sale, and a Penny War with $500 of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
  • April 15 – 21, 2012 was National Volunteer Week.  We celebrated at the Volunteer Recognition Breakfast on April 17th at the Hotel Mead.  Certainly the youngest nominees were a group of students from the Howe Elementary School Student Leadership Group.  Despite their age, however, they truly ranked up towards the top when measuring achievement!
  • This group comes together to represent the school and build a positive, enthusiastic community that represents diversity and equality.  Each student was elected by his or her classroom.  There are two students per classroom from grades 3-5.  They meet once a week before school to learn about, understand and increase their skills and knowledge as leaders as they work to improve the school and community.  It was created two years ago when the Student Council and Student Action Group were combined. 
  • Some of their activities include visiting Renaissance Assisted Living Center, raising money for The Neighborhood Table, and participating in a school “Spring into Action Day.”  During this activity they partnered with members of Woodlands Church and Howe School staff to give the school an “Extreme Makeover,” cleaning the marquee, landscaping, painting  halls, stairwells and the office, raking the playground, painting the blacktop games, refurbishing the basketball hoops, installing a new football/soccer goal and tennis courts and putting together a school-community garden. 
  • The Howe Student Leadership Group also presented short skits on bullying in each classroom and discussed ways to be assertive, responsible, and a supportive friend or bystander in a bullying situation.  They also worked on a behavioral matrix that lays out positive expectations in all areas of the school.  They discussed what it should be like to be a safe, respectful and responsible individual in the common areas around Howe School.
    The group also had a candy cane sale last winter and organized many sprit days, including Crazy Hair Day, Hat Day, Book Character Day and Pajama Day.  They had a penny war and gave $500 of the proceeds to the American Red Cross to help disaster victims.  The remainder will be used to host a Thank You Breakfast for Woodland Church for their help during “Spring into Action Day.”  They also had a pet food drive to help the homeless animals through the South Wood County Humane Society.  When they drop off the donated food they will also volunteer for the day and help walk dogs.  They also organized a school social dance. 
  • Making posters for the school social dance is one of Maddy Pocha’s favorite things to do with the group.  “I like it because it’s fun and you can decorate it however you want.  It also tells you what it is, what is the date and time, and where it will be.  It informs everybody.”  Maddy is 9 and a part of the Leadership Group. 
  • Another member, Jade Ostrum, 8, likes organizing Spirit Days, “so others can enjoy themselves and build school pride and self esteem in themselves.  I like to volunteer and help other people because it makes me happy.”
  • Lindsey Olson, 10, enjoys going to the Renaissance.  “It makes me happy to be with people who don’t have a lot of visitors.  We make them things to eat and they get excited when we come.  You can tell they are happy when we leave.  It gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside!”  When asked what volunteering means to her, she said “Volunteering means helping somebody and having empathy for them.”    Lindsey also said, “We do a lot of stuff in the community and I’m so happy to be in this group.  It makes you think about what you do and how your actions affect others.  I will definitely volunteer in the future and do things for other people.  If you don’t, who will?”
  • Nou Vang, one of the advisors, is very proud of the group.  “I believe that Student Leadership members are true leaders in their own unique form,” said Vang.  “All of them have different strengths that they bring to the group and together, they are able to contribute and give back to the school and the community through their acts of kindness. As young people, they understand that and they see it. They are role models to the rest of the student body.”
  • The Volunteer Spotlight is a monthly feature.  If your non-profit organization has an outstanding volunteer, or group of volunteers, and would like to make a nomination, please call United Way of Inner Wisconsin’s Volunteer Center at 715-421-0390.