K-5 students invited to particpate in annual Day of Service

Colonial School District families with children in grades K-5 are invited to participate in our Day of Service event to be held Monday, Jan. 19, in the cafeteria at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. This event is held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a way to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service to others. We thank the Colonial School District Education Foundation, Graboyes Window & Door, and Kurtz Brothers for their support of this event. Twelve different service projects will be available for K-5 children to complete, and high school and middle school students will help guide your children through the activities. If you can’t attend our event, please scroll down to the end of this message for some ideas on alternative ways to serve.

What time is the event?

We will have two sessions: One from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and another from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. Students and their families will have an hour to rotate through the stations. Each session will kick off with a short student-led presentation about Dr. King.

How do parents/guardians of children in grades K-5 sign up?

Please use the link below to sign up. Determine which session you want to attend (10:30 or 12:15) and then sign up for the station you want to start at to reserve your spot:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E4CA9AB2BA13-61458984-csdday#/

If the station you want to start at is full, you can still reserve your place at the event by signing up for a different starting station. People will be able to float between stations once the event begins. If you have multiple children, simply note the number of students in the “quantity” field and add their names in the text field. 

In the event all the volunteer spots are taken when you try to register, please reply to this email and we will keep your name on a waiting list in case there are cancellations.

What stations will be available?

• Friendship bracelets for Make-A-Wish: Students will use beads and string to create friendship bracelets for Make-A-Wish recipients.
• Pet toys for the SPCA and Spay and Save: Students will use recycled t-shirts to make toys for pets in shelters.
• Sorting plastic caps for recycling: Students will categorize plastic bottle caps by color and size so they can be recycled into benches and other materials.
• Kindness Rocks: Students will decorate rocks with positive messages that will be distributed throughout the community.
• Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Students can purchase a cup of lemonade and write a kind message on a paper lemon to a pediatric cancer patient.
• I Have a Dream: Students will listen to a story about Dr. King and then write a short sentence on a paper cut-out about how Dr. King inspires them or about a service project they will do in the future.
• Raise Funds for the U.N. World Food Programme: Students will play computer games on freerice.com to raise money for the UN World Food Programme.
• Clothing collection for Cradles to Crayons: Students will help sort clothing items into different piles.
• Used sports equipment collection for Leveling the Playing Field: Students will help sort donated equipment.
• Origami paper hearts for cancer patients: Students will fold origami paper hearts to be donated to cancer patients.
• Butterfly project: Students will write positive notes on butterflies to be sent to a school in the Dominican Republic.
• T-shirts for kids: Students will use fabric markers to decorate t-shirts with messages about MLK Day that will be donated to the Colonial Neighborhood Council.

Where should I park and what else should I know about the event?

You can park in back of the high school and enter through the door that is closest to the North Gym (Door 19). There will be signs and volunteers to help direct you. Walk down the hall until you come to the main lobby and turn right to get to the cafeteria. You may want to bring some cash for snacks and for Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Proceeds from the sale of snack items will go toward funding next year’s event.

What happens if the weather leads to a cancellation?

If we need to cancel due to the weather, we will notify you via email, the website (www.colonialsd.org) and social media. 

We can’t volunteer that day but we would like to contribute in some way. How can we help?

You can drop off sporting equipment, clothing for Cradles to Crayons, or plastic caps at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School on Jan. 19 between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. For guidelines on what to drop off, see below:

New/gently used sporting equipment for Leveling the Playing Field:

Here’s more information on accepted donations

Children’s clothing for Cradles to Crayons: 

Here’s more information on items to donate

Plastic caps/tops must be clean and dry. Look for #2, #4, or #5 recyclable plastic.

You can also visit this webpage for ideas on projects that you can complete at home: https://www.colonialsd.org/community/day-of-service/day-of-service-projects