[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Every year at Needham’s Pollard Middle School, the eighth grade students participate in a day that revolves around the community: Students Take Action Day, or STA (pronounced “stay”) Day for short.
Throughout the year, the eighth graders must participate in donating six hours of their time to community service. While STA Day is usually held at the beginning of the year to kick off the students’ community service hours, this year, the school hosted it on April 12 as a culminating event.
The day helps the soon-to-be freshman realize what sorts of clubs and organizations they have the opportunity to join in high school and learn about ways to help the community. The students see an array of organizations throughout the morning and attend workshops in clusters.
“I think it’s a great chance for kids to be exposed to different things that they might not necessarily be exposed to,” said Eighth Grade Assistant Principal Megan Bonomolo. “At this age, I think it’s important for them to know what’s out there and how they can involved in different ways.”
Students were introduced to high school clubs, such as Needham High’s All Genders and Sexualities Alliance (AGSA), Own Your Peace, Best Buddies, School the World, Needham Human Rights Coalition, KIVA, and Students Acting to Make a Difference.
They also learned about local community organizations, including Therapy Dogs International, NEADs, the Needham Community Council, Cradles to Crayons, the Charles River Center Organization, Generic Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, and Project Bread.
Some workshops also encouraged the students to think about themselves and their peers by raising questions about foreign cultures, racism, and identity. Some of the workshops even focused on more global concerns, like climate change and bias in the media.
“This shows the idea that you can make a difference at a young age,” said Seventh Grade Assistant Principal Jeremy Greenwood. “You started doing things here in middle school, but now you have much more growth opportunity as you get to high school and beyond that. It’s all to teach that lifelong process of reaching out and helping others.”
In the afternoon, the students participated in an assembly about standing up and taking action against bullying, for which State Representative Denise Garlick joined.
“There’s two meanings: one on how to get involved in service, and one on how to stand up for kids that are getting bullied. ‘Students Take Action’ can be taken either way,” Bonomolo said. “I think in the long run, exposing 13 and 14-year-olds to this is a good thing.”
