Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com; Julie Kelly, Avondale Schools, 248.537.6002, julie.kelly@avondale.k12.mi.us
Auburn Hills, Mich. —Dec. 8, 2014—- Avondale School District, an achievement-oriented learning community focused on student leadership and success in academics, the arts and athletics, is again providing students at Avondale High School the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities that teach the importance of giving back to the community and the world.
This annual week-long effort, called Caring and Sharing Week, inspires Avondale High School students to see their full potential in the world and put it into action. This year’s week of caring runs from Dec. 3 – 10 with a full schedule of service projects, fundraisers, assemblies and other activities that demonstrate the students’ range of abilities and the good they can accomplish just by getting involved. Carolyn Benson, a teacher at Avondale High School and Student Leadership Advisor, says the students selected ‘community’ as the theme for this year’s Caring and Sharing week based on the motto “We all smile in the same language.”
“Caring and Sharing week allows the students to step away from their normal routines to develop empathy, appreciate what they have and be inspired to engage in community service throughout their lives,” Benson said. “With this year’s theme of ‘community’, it is really keeping the message of Caring and Sharing Week at the forefront for the students.”
Specific activities during Caring and Sharing Week include:
•A canned food drive to provide food during the winter break to 321 Avondale students, organized by Avondale High School teacher, Kip Pichel.
• A penny war competition during third hour classes to see which classroom can collect the most pennies. All donations received in the penny war will go to an Avondale family trying to purchase a handicap accessible van for their daughter.
• Students have also established a Kare4Kaleigh account on Gofundme.com to serve as another avenue to raise funds for the handicap accessible van.
• Fund raisers at the local Yummie Yogurt and C.K. Diggs
• Caring and Sharing Week wraps up with an assembly on Dec. 10 complete with students having a parade of cans.
“This is my first Caring and Sharing Week, but it is one of my favorite school activities in the district thus far,” Dr. James Schwarz, Avondale’s Superintendent said. “The Avondale School District has a culture that embraces ‘community’ and to have a week dedicated to demonstrating the impact of individual and team efforts to make a difference is powerful, especially to teens.”
In addition to Caring and Sharing week, Avondale School District, Avondale District moms, businesses, church groups, and the City of Auburn Hills combined their efforts to service more than 400 students and their families through a winter gear drive and gift of giving program. These efforts include:
• A glove drive hosted by The River Church
• The City of Auburn Hills Fire Department, church groups, and businesses adopting more than 20 Avondale School District families and providing them with needed winter items, clothing, shoes, toys and food.
• Avondale Middle School National Junior Honor Society and Student Council purchasing additional high need items and organizing a food drive to support the Avondale High School food drive efforts.
• Auburn Elementary, Deerfield Elementary, R. Grant Graham Elementary and Woodland Elementary each organized a Giving Tree to support this community outreach
To donate to the Gift of Giving Project, please contact Bonnie Kakuda at 248.933.1723 or bonnie@kakuda.org.
About Avondale School District
Avondale School District is a collaborative community of teachers, staff and families working together to assure student success. The district, encompassing portions of Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Township, Troy and Rochester Hills, celebrates the richness of a diverse student population and strives to be a model school community that prepares students to be lifelong learners and contributing citizens to the world that awaits them upon graduation. Learn more about Avondale Schools, an AdvancED accredited district, at www.avondale.k12.mi.us.
