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Student projects prove how much 'Stockdale Cares'
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Posted by LisaW Tue Nov 13, 2007 13:44:56 PST
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0 responses 0 comments For students and teachers involved with the associated student body government at Stockdale High School in Southwest Bakersfield, the school year is a whirlwind of drives and community service projects benefiting the greater Bakersfield community.

In spite of rumors that swirl around the school — that students only drive BMW and Mercedes Benz cars or that the school is filled with a bunch of prep school snobs — Mustang students work hard to give back to their community throughout the year.

“I think we get a stigma because of where we are located, but our district goes out farther than the nice neighborhoods. I don’t even live in one of those neighborhoods,” said senior and ASB secretary, Lauren Garner.

As part of the ASB constitution at Stockdale High, each student activity club must complete two community service projects each year. On top of that, the school holds drives and other community service projects that involve the entire student body. When programs are far-reaching like this, they call it “Stockdale Cares.”

The Stockdale Cares program has been established as long as the school has been open.

The most recent drive netted three tons of canned food for the Salvation Army which will be distributed as part of Community Christmas, a program combining several local organizations and schools into one big Christmas drive for families in need.

The ASB decided to make it a competition between all of the second period classes, with the winners getting a breakfast party. The winning class brought in almost 2,000 cans. They also collected cans at the homecoming dance. Students were able to get in “free” if they brought six cans of food with them.

“The schools have been holding canned food drives since I was in elementary school. It is an easy way to get involved,” said Garner.

But Stockdale High takes its giving seriously and goes far beyond canned food drives.

Prior to the canned food drive was the back to school blanket drive. Students donated blankets or materials to make blankets to Project Linus. Project Linus gives out blankets to sick or traumatized children in Kern County. The school donated 49 handmade blankets and tons of materials such as yarn, thread and fabric so more blankets could be made.

“It’s just something we can give back to the community,” said Stella Kidd, dean of student services.

Right now students are helping with the Red Cross relief fund for Southern California fire victims, and the football team just wrapped up their sock drive by collecting more than 1,800 pairs of socks.

“Most people think that we’re just a bunch of rich kids, but our school is very diverse,” Hunt said. “ There are kids at this school who are rich, but you’d never know it because they aren’t stuck up about it.”

The next big school project will be their “Adopt a Star” annual Christmas drive. Administrators partner with various schools in the community and ask them to identify students in need. Teachers find out what the elementary students want for Christmas. A list is made and sent off to Stockdale.

Starting today students at Stockdale will be able to choose kids to adopt and begin buying gifts for their kids. They can adopt as a group friends, class, club or individually. Last year the school gave out over 2,000 gifts.

“Adopt a Star is one of our biggest things. It’s amazing how many people get involved,” Garner said. “To see their little faces, it just gives you a special feeling inside. I mean, everyone loves Christmas and that giving atmosphere.”

The gifts are delivered to elementary schools by Stockdale students involved with ASB. The ASB room and administrative office starts getting crowded with bikes and toys as the date for delivery approaches. On Dec. 13 and 14 they will fill up the marching band trailer with all the toys and complete their deliveries.

“A lot of kids around here are pretty well off, so giving back to kids that don’t have a lot is really special,” Hunt said.

The students are not alone in their giving. People in the community often donate money to make sure the school is able to give out gifts to every child.

“Sometimes the schools will send us extra kids. We take care of them all, we’re not going to turn anybody away,” Kidd said.

After the winter break the next big drive will be to collect art supplies for the children’s wards of local hospitals. More drives are planned for the remainder of the year.

It’s all part of giving back to the community.

“I think these guys just have big hearts,” Kidd said. “There’s an atmosphere about it. They see a need and they go for it.”

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