Clearfield Elementary Students Give Back to Community with Blessing Box

Clearfield Elementary Students Give Back to Community with Blessing Box

Clearfield Elementary School has been hard at work this semester on their project based learning activity that allows students to give back to their community. After identifying hunger as a need, students were given the task of creating ways to have a positive impact on their town, while also continuing to master grade-level content within their classrooms. After much thought, CES students decided to address hunger in Clearfield by adding a Blessing Box to their community.

Due to the size of the project, it quickly turned into a school-wide initiative. 5th grade students were in charge of writing letters to county officials to discuss the need and to seek approval. Instead of simply mailing the letters, these fifth graders decided that it would be more impactful to have a round-table discussion with Judge Executive Harry Clark, Mayor Laura White, and Rowan County Board of Education employee, Mrs. Rhonda Banks. During the round table, students not only shared their letters, but also shared community statistics and their plan for making sure this project is successful over a duration of time. After some discussion, our county officials were excited to tell our students that their project was approved and CES was able to proceed!

Fourth grade students were given the task of securing a donation for the Blessing Box and coming up with someone to build the box for their school. After making some phone calls, they secured a donation from Harold White Lumber for the materials and will have the Rowan County Senior High School woodworking shop to build the box itself. Digital media will also be created for advertising purposes by third and fourth grade students.

Kindergarten-Second grade students also have an active role in this project. Our second grade classrooms will be organizing a donation and collecting items for the box and the first items will be donated by our kindergarten and first grade students.

Throughout this project, students have stepped out of their comfort zones, challenged themselves, and have seen the impact they can each have on something much larger than the four walls of our school. Clearfield Elementary plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony at the end of March and will place the box at CES once the school renovation is complete during the summer of 2023.