This first semester has proven to be a busy one for students. Between coursework, college applications for seniors, and school events, there have been a myriad of happenings for students. A highlight for me, however, was being able to bring back the annual Cooper Cares Day event. As the Service Chair of the Student Government Association (SGA) I’ve had the responsibility of organizing and coordinating many of the service-based events on and off campus. With the help of SGA and Sra. Marivi Mata, Cooper Cares Day– a dedicated day for students to go out into their community and volunteer, perform, decorate, and give back– was held towards the end of October, and proved to be a great success. 

From organizing medical supplies with the downtown organization Project CURE, preparing and packaging individualized meals for local seniors and after-school programs, and collecting gently used sneakers from the Upper and Middle Schools, Cooper students got involved in their community in a very real way, something I’m incredibly proud of. 

Throughout the rest of the first semester, students have had opportunities to volunteer through other clubs and organizations, including the Interact club, whose members frequently participate in local events like the YMCA Dragon Boat competition, and help distribute collected food with the Keep Us Fed organization on a weekly basis. 

This holiday season, Canstruction, the John Cooper School’s major service project, will be returning, and we hope for it to be the largest yet. As part of this annual event, families and advisories around the school are able to purchase ‘bricks’, made up of essential goods and food items, which will be used in the second semester to form a student-built structure before being donated to the Montgomery County Food Bank. With the rates of hunger and food insecurity being particularly high this year due to a variety of global factors, the food bank is especially in need of food, which makes this year’s Canstruction more important than ever. Students and their families are encouraged to contribute to the drive by buying ‘bricks’ at the link below:

https://johncooper.myschoolapp.com/podium/default.aspx?t=36644&rid=40807