School can be hard for any child, but a group of students at Happy Valley Middle School are working hard to make it a little easier for some of their classmates.
The Girls On The Run team at HVMS have been working hard collecting school supplies for the school to hand out to students whose families can’t afford them.
“There are some students who have trouble getting the basic supplies they need,” said HVMS Counselor Tiffany Herrick, who also serves as the GOTR coach for the team. “This way we have something on hand to give the kids.”
Each morning this week during breakfast at the school, the GOTR team members are manning a collection booth. Their fellow students bring in supplies and drop them off as they head to breakfast.
“The students know it is going to help other students, but they won’t know who goes and gets supplies,” Herrick said. “Our hope is to build this up and use it next year.”
The supply drive will also help teachers, many of whom Herrick said spend money out of their own pockets to provide students with the supplies they need.
Each year, GOTR teams must participate in a community impact project by coming up with a way to make a positive impact in their school. Last year, the team did a project they called “Positive Post-It” where the students stuck a Post-It note bearing a positive message on each locker and classroom door in the school the week before state assessment tests as a way to encourage their fellow students.
Herrick credits the students of the GOTR team for coming up with the idea for the school supply drive as this year’s project.
“So many kids in our school don’t have a bunch of money when it comes to school supplies,” said GOTR member Keili Hall. “We got together and decided to collect school supplies for next year to help those students.”
The team said Herrick inspired them to take on the project in talking with them about the needs of the students in the school.
“Coach Herrick told us we wouldn’t believe how many students come to her because they don’t have supplies,” said GOTR member Jada Goulds.
From there, the students decided to collect supplies for their fellow students.
“Pretty much everything from binders to pencils,” said GOTR member Abigail Rush.
This is the second year Happy Valley Middle has had a Girls On The Run team and Herrick said.
“The program promotes self-confidence and girls building each other up instead of bringing each other down,” Herrick said.
The program also has a strong focus on making a positive impact in your own community and Herrick said it has been a big success with the students and has inspired the team members to look for ways they can help others.
“I am really proud of them. They had more ideas than we could do to help positively impact our school,” Herrick said. “I wish we had the time and the resources to do all the projects they came up with.”
As an example of the girls’ dedication, Herrick said next week is teacher and principal appreciation week and the students brought in their own money to plan a special surprise for the school staff.
“They said we have to be sure to include the cafeteria workers and janitor too because they often get forgotten,” Herrick said.
If anyone is interested in donating school supplies for the Girls On The Run drive or at any time during the school year, Herrick said they can contact her at the school or drop the items off at the main office at Happy Valley Middle School.