On Wednesday, October 23rd, Scituate High School students and staff paused classroom instruction to participate in a full day of hands-on activities related to college opportunities, community service, and career-building. Primarily organized by Assistant Principal Lisa Kirk, the first “College, Career, and Community Day” received widespread praise. According to Kirk, the day became “a day to pause our regular academics,” allowing students from each grade “to think about their future.”
Accordingly, each grade participated in different age-appropriate activities: freshmen engaged in team-building activities, sophomores visited various colleges and technical schools, juniors participated in the annual Credit-For-Life, and seniors went into the community for various purposes.
The SHS cafeteria staff prepared a barbeque lunch for staff and students to enjoy following their morning activities. This was a fun opportunity for the school community to come together and spend time together.
In the afternoon, juniors and seniors attended a program in the Performing Arts Center featuring Kaleb Joseph, a Mental Health and Wellness Consultant and Holistic Performance Coach who previously played basketball for Syracuse University. A select group of SHS students met Joseph last spring while attending the Matt Light Leadership Conference at Bridgewater State University, where Joseph was the keynote speaker. Kirk noted that Joseph’s story and message resonated well with the students as he shared it.
Reflecting on the day, Kirk said she hoped each student experienced an age-appropriate opportunity that was a preliminary showing of something valuable extending beyond the classroom.
Specifically, freshmen worked with a program called My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP), which prepares students for college, career, and civic readiness. Their day included on-campus community service and team-building activities.
Sophomore Jack Lovell recounted positive memories from his experiences visiting Curry College. He explained how the college tour was very beneficial. Lovell believes another benefit was his ability to “see what college feels like before you’re just thrown into it.”
Junior Luke Lenzi, who participated in the Credit for Life Fair, believes it was “useful seeing how money can be spent in different ways, based on different jobs.” Lenzi felt it was beneficial for the whole school to do something together. Students could complete community service hours, which was helpful because completing 50 community service hours is a graduation requirement. After listening to Kaleb Joseph speak, Lenzi recounted a major takeaway from the speech: “Don’t let people get to you, be yourself, and don’t let others perceive you in different ways.”
Senior Noah Don had the opportunity to visit Cushing Elementary School, volunteering with Ms. Dewberry’s class. He stated, “I enjoyed seeing what students were learning in first and second grade.” Don said the experience was beneficial for “building community bonds and strengthening relationships between grade levels.” He thought Joseph’s speech was very motivational, stating how when the speaker asked everyone to raise their hand if they had five people who truly knew them, and no one raised their hand, it was impactful. Don hopes this day will continue for future students.
Senior Trinity Rothwell went to the Susan Phippen House to prepare greeting cards for veterans. She enjoyed the group of people she worked with and appreciated the calm atmosphere. Rothwell enjoyed helping the community and being a part of something on a broader scale that was beyond the school community.
Senior Clement Dumet helped with manual labor–a group of students blended their assistance with landscaping at the Scituate Town Library and fire station. Dument recalled a specific experience where the group cleaned up leaves and sticks from a trench at the library to prevent flooding. They removed leaves and cut trees at the fire station, cleaned the parking lot, and helped the Scituate Department of Public Works. The DPW is currently looking for more similar volunteer opportunities, as it was helpful.
21 SHS seniors visited the Scituate Senior Center to conduct informational interviews with 13 senior citizens. The program included time to socialize and learn more about each other’s life experiences. Class President Jane Ryan, who interviewed retired engineer Jeff Kalla, said she appreciated the experience: “I liked talking to Mr. Kalla. He was a very positive guy. I liked hearing about the cultural shifts he’s seen in his lifetime, especially the technological advancements.”
This memorable day will be continued in the future, as Kirk commented, “The administrative team and department chairs are already planning for 2.0,” a more enhanced version of the College, Career, and Community Day.