Providence Classical School K-12 students and staff celebrated their school and served the community during their annual Spirit and Service Week. Community beneficiaries included Heritage Humane Society, Grove Christian Outreach Center, Hospice House, Fish Food Pantry, Knickers for New Life/Uganda and many others.
The week was a significant one for PCS as the school celebrated its 17th year. PCS has partnered with many of the community beneficiaries since its inception, annually gathering collections and monetary donations in addition to performing service work. The underlying theme of community support and service was emphasized throughout the week. The structure of the week: four daily school-wide collections supporting local charities; daily morning school-wide spirit rallies featuring dress days: Mismatch Day, Sports Team Day, Dress Like Your Prayer Buddy Day, Cartoon Day, and America Day; a coin drive; and table sales supporting student-chosen charities.
Head of School Susan Oweis states, “What an amazing week at PCS! We celebrated our school in fun ways, and our community in tangible ways, through daily outreach to our community partners. We had a record collection this year. Since our founding 17 years ago, PCS has grown into a full K-12 college-prep institution, and it is a joy to continually increase our support for community partners each year.”
Students in grades 6-12 are members of various houses: Jay, Witherspoon, Sherman and Henry (named for American patriots). Each house hosted a day for their charity during the week and also deployed around Williamsburg for their Day of Caring. That service outreach extended to additional beneficiaries, including the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center, local fire and police departments, the 3eRestoration homeless ministry and spring cleaning/maintenance projects around the PCS campus.
DONATION TOTALS/RESULTS:
Spotlight Charity for 2018: Knickers for New Life/Uganda: A school-wide coin drive raised $1,875.68, plus table sales of soap and jewelry to support the ministry added another $600 ($2,475.68 total.) The ministry provides critical health and hygiene support to Ugandan primary schools in the form of new bathrooms, hand washing stations and hygiene products to students. Founder Watha Kollmeyer visited PCS for 3 days and helped to educate PCS students about the health-related struggles facing young students in Uganda, (www.KnickersForNewLife.org) [She would be available for comment via phone if desired.]
Heritage Humane Society: School-wide collection, hosted by Henry House, gathered 132 items for the animals, plus funds of $106.17.
Hospice House: School-wide collection, hosted by Jay House, gathered 90 items for hospice patients and their families plus $20 in funds.
Fish Food Pantry: School-wide collection, hosted by Witherspoon House, gathered 247 cans of food plus $100 in funds.
Grove Christian Outreach Center: School-wide collection, hosted by Sherman House, gathered 145 canned goods plus other items for their food pantry and clothes closet, and $138 in funds.
Hospice House: School-wide collection, hosted by Jay House, gathered 90 items for hospice patients and their families plus $20 in donations.
Additional student-run lunchtime crafts and baked goods table sales during the week yielded over $800 in proceeds to student-chosen charities including: One Child for Autism; Heritage Humane Society; Community of Faith Ministries; Fish Food Pantry; the Jessie Rees Foundation; CureOM/Ocular Melanoma; CHKD; Lackey Clinic; Proclaiming Grace Outreach Center; and Meals on Wheels/Council on Aging. The students provided their hand-made crafts and baked goods for sale and handled the promotion and logistics.
Total funds raised in support of community and national charities during the week: $3,640.18
DAY OF CARING/SERVICE RECAP:
Henry House deployed to the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center for camp clean up in preparation for the upcoming summer camp and retreat season. Witherspoon House delivered baked goods and thank you cards to local police and fire departments, and also performed house painting and maintenance tasks at the 3eResoration homeless shelter. Jay and Sherman Houses served the PCS community by taking on the outdoor campus maintenance and clean up tasks.
