Students Practice Random Acts of Kindness
“Together, we make a difference” is the motto, which inspires students at the Shelton Intermediate School to help others. Since 1995, the Shelton Intermediate School (SIS) has raised $35,000 for Lights of Love.
All 900 students at the Shelton
Intermediate School participated in
an annual Walk-a-Thon in
October, raising $4,300 for the
Ronald McDonald House of
Connecticut Lights of Love.
Helping community organizations
is integral to the school program,
thanks to the support of principal
Howard Gura who encourages
students to perform random acts of kindness and provides
ample time for teachers to coordinate community
service projects. “We really couldn’t do what we do
without his support,” noted teacher Kathy Maffucci.
Team teachers Kathy Maffucci and Gail Gibbons provide leadership for the SIS Teen Corp (Community OutReach Program) which provides seventh- and eighth-grade students the opportunity to bridge the gap between school and community. “The program is really student driven,” according to Maffucci.
The Teen CORP, composed of 15 students from each grade, meets weekly to organize activities. Besides the Walk-A-Thon, students created 900 Pinwheels for Peace in September and are collecting supplies for troops in November. One student, himself a cancer survivor, has inspired a collection of toys for the Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Toy Closet.
The school’s first connection with the House came through the tabs collection program. Special education teacher Tracey Huffy of the former Ripton School in Shelton received a flyer from the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield, Massachusetts encouraging schools to collect pop tabs. Teachers loved collecting tabs because they didn’t have to do the extensive paperwork required for cash collections. When school officials realized there was a House in New Haven, they helped the Connecticut House find a recycling center, launching the program which continues today.
Lights of Love continues as one of our major annual fundraisers. In 2006, 40 schools from across the state participated in Lights of Love, raising $28,045. Another $12,000 was raised through contributions from hundreds of individuals, bringing the total to $40,045.