Bringing in the Bags

Sometimes you can’t do it alone. You might want to but sometimes you need to lean on someone and ask for help.

Starting your day hungry is not productive. Keeping yourself motivated in the classroom is hard, when you are hungry. Last year Dr. Deborah Marks, Principal of Clover Hill High School realized that a number of her students were coming to school hungry, without eating breakfast and without money to purchase lunch. She investigated and found out that a lot of families are finding themselves in grave financial situations and the children are suffering, going without basic meals. The idea of starting a food pantry was invented and with the help of teachers and the PTA, food pantries were set up throughout the school. Basically any student who needed something to eat could approach their teacher and ask for something to eat. Also teachers who found students that were having issues could offer them food from the food pantry. The food pantry has been funded the past year with donations from parents who knew about the food need and teachers who were able to donate.

The PTA decided to try finding a partner to assist in gathering more food for the food pantry. A phone call to Journey Church was made and a meeting set up to discuss the possibility of a partnership. The Journey Church asked its congregation to bring food items on Sunday, January 22, 2012 and leave at the bumper of their car. Food items that would be used by the hungry students at Clover Hill High School. Outreach members of Journey Church and PTA members of Clover Hill High School gathered up all the bumper bags and stored them in an empty room at Clover Hill. An entire room was filled with wonderful food items such as peanut butter, jelly, soups, pop tarts, waters, Capri suns, crackers. Enough food to feed any student that needs it for the rest of the year.

A big thank you to all families from Clover Hill High School and Journey Church in partnering together to raise food and awareness in the community about the lack of food in some student’s life. Together we can make things happen and make some student’s life a little easier.

Coming up on March 17, 2012, Westchester Commons and Bon Secours St. Francis Watkins Centre are holding the Westchester Shamrock 5k & Kid’s 1k Fun Run.   This will be the first running of this race, winding through the Westchester Commons Shopping center.

In addition to raising money for Movin’ Mania, the Westchester Shamrock 5k has issued the Shamrock School Challenge!  Each elementary, middle, and high school with the most participants will receive $500 for athletic equipment!  Participants must be a registered student or employed by the school to enter the challenge.  You don’t have to run to support your school! Volunteers are counted as participants for the purpose of the Shamrock School Challenge.

Full details on the race, charity, and School Challenge can be found at http://www.westchestershamrock.com/.

The Virginia PTA offers several scholarships to students across the state.  The $1,200 scholarship that memorializes M. Frieda Koontz, the Executive Secretary of the SCA from 1922-1950, the $1,200 scholarship to honor S. John Davis, Virginia’s Superintendent of Schools from 1979-1989, and other $1000 scholarships are awarded each year. All students at Clover Hill High School that are residents of Virginia who will graduate, plan to pursue a career in teaching or service with a youth serving agency, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and will enter a Virginia College or University in September are eligible. The scholarships are based on financial needs and academic achievement.

The current student application can be found at the VA PTA website or on the Clover Hill High PTSA website.  Applications are due to the Virginia PTA postmarked no later than March 1, 2012.

Essays are due by February 1, 2012!

Virginia PTA is sponsoring a Citizenship Essay Project.  The 2011-2012 theme is “Community Responsibility”.  Students can express their views and opinions on “Character or Citizenship.”

All Virginia Students in grades 6-12 can enter.  Students in grades 9-12 must write a minimum of 750 words, typed and double-spaced using Times Roman 12 font with 1″ margins.

Students in High School grades can win a $1000 Savings Bond for 1st Place, a $500 Savings Bond for 2nd Place, or a $250 Savings Bond for 3rd Place.  All entries must be submitted by February 1, 2012. Official entry forms are on the VA PTA website or on the Clover Hill High PTSA website.

Celebrating 20 Years of
Dedicated Service

The Chesterfield School Board
and
Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome

Request the honor of your presence at a
Reception to honor the retirement of

Marshall W. Trammell, Jr.

Monday, December 12th / 5:30 p.m.

At 6 PM on November 22nd, CHHS will host a community event in the auditorium where parents, students, and community members can attend a presentation given by Rachel’s Challenge.  The presentation is based on the journals of Rachel Scott, a student killed in the Columbine High School shootings, and her mantra that acts of compassion can start a chain reaction.  For more information,

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