Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Service Projects at Woodbury Jr.-Sr. High School


Steve Ireland collects paper for the class’s paper recycling project with the help of teacher Thilana Chandler and Byron Long.

(This entry was submitted by Ms. Alysa Cummings, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction.)

For teacher Thilana Chandler’s special education class at Woodbury Junior-Senior High, school means much more than the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. Her ten students, ranging in age from 15 to 18 years old, are also learning how good it feels to ‘give back’ through a variety of service projects.

Once a month, the students visit Woodbury’s Central Baptist Church and work with JoAnne Miller to prepare lunches, snacks and hot soup to feed the homeless in Camden. Each of these scheduled service visits lasts for about three hours’ time. After helping out in the kitchen, they work to get the food packaged and ready for delivery as well.

The students are also excited about their paper recycling project conducted right in the school building. Once or twice a week, the students move from classroom to classroom with a large bin on wheels, gathering up scrap paper for recycling.

Mrs. Chandler’s self-contained special education class also travels to West End Elementary School on a regular basis to read to Mrs. Gassner’s kindergarten and first grade aged special needs students. Mrs. Chandler is pleased with how all of these service projects are going. “For most of my students, it’s the first time they’ve every thought about helping others in this way,” she said.

1 comment:

Donna Lacovara said...

I have witnessed Ms. Chandler's class collect the recycle bins throughout the high school. They are always polite and professional. I am excited to hear that they also help the homeless and read to our Woodbury kindergarten students too! Way to go Ms. Chandler and her students!