News, Events and Announcements:
Brattleboro Reformer News: Summer 2011
On the Franklin Barbecue--August 12-13
On a new hot lunch provider at GCS
On the Green River covered bridge--engineer chosen
On swing music for Guilford dance
Guilford kids raise $1,000 for Stocking (Reformer, Dec. 24 09, p.1)
By CHRIS GAROFOLOGUILFORD -- Guilford residents have always had a philanthropic heart when it comes to their town’s only school, and that charity has rubbed off on the next generation. The students from Guilford Central School have raised $1,010.50 in three weeks for the 73rd annual Reformer Christmas Stocking to purchase warm outerwear for children around the county. The total tops the school’s previous record of $726.49 set last year.
Student Government President Elizabeth Martyn said the students hosted a bake sale each Friday in December with three different homerooms competing to sell the most. While there was a spirit of competition to raise the highest amount, students were more focused on donating money for coat purchases instead of vying for cake sales. On Dec. 18 alone, the school raised more than $400 for the fund.
At the beginning of the school year, the student government members said they wanted to work on a project to make a difference in their community, and chose to work with the Christmas Stocking again. "One of the things we definitively wanted to do is the Christmas Stocking," said Martyn, an eighth-grader. The student government knew the Stocking money went to help other children, and that is very important for the community, she added.
"There is a feeling in this school of helping out during the holidays," said Jen Kramer, GCS social studies teacher and advisor to student government.
"The students aren’t the only ones who did it, it’s a whole community-wide Guilford effort," said eighth-grader Conley Crowder, secretary of the student government. "Helping other people makes you feel good ... it makes you wish there were more of us to make a difference." Along with the entire student population participating in the bake sale, former Guilford teachers, current staff members and parents assisted in preparing goodies for the fundraiser, packing a small table full of seasonal sweets and healthy treats. Students found out last winter which items were the most successful and made sure to stock an extra amount of the children’s favorites. Sure enough, the biggest sales hits were again candy canes, snack cakes and homemade brownies and cookies.
For the first 12 years of the school’s involvement with the Christmas Stocking, [first grade teacher Sue Bos] mainly conducted the daily operations. This is the second year that the student government has exclusively operated as the lead organizer, and the children have responded with the two largest fundraising seasons to date. And the students do everything for the fundraiser, from making posters and announcements to organizing who will volunteer at the table. "It is a tremendous amount of work that goes into this," said Kramer. "Never underestimate the power of middle schoolers, it is amazing what they can do," she added.
GCS Principal John Gagnon said he was very proud of the students’ achievements this holiday season. "They worked very hard and they did it because they wanted to help out people in need," he said.
To donate to the Reformer Christmas Stocking, send the contribution along with the form found in the Reformer each day and on our Web site to: Reformer Christmas Stocking, P.O. Box 703 Brattleboro, VT 05302-0703. A list of contributions is on Page 11.
Chris Garofolo can be reached at cgarofolo@reformer.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 275.
Archives 2009
Guilford Boys Win West River Soccer Tournament
See People and Places in the About Guilford section of this website to view a growing gallery of Guilford Historical Society photos, with writeups by various community people, and Guilford 7th graders.
Archives 2008
- New GCS vision, mission, values statement (Read proceedings of related meetings below.)
- Helen Marynuk is Guilford's Citizen of the Year
- Too Much Screen Time? (Article from May Gazette.)
- Town Meeting
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Guilford Central Mission Statement Consolidation: May 12
Guilford Central: Vision, Mission, Values proceedings: February 21
Guilford Central: Vision, Mission, Values proceedings: March 6
Guilford Central: Vision, Mission, Values proceedings: March 27
Guilford Central: Vision, Mission, Values proceedings: May 1
- Awesome Books We've Read (and some not so much)--reviews from the middle school
