The Holiday season is a special time of year for many people. It tends to be full of laughter, joy, time with family and friends, and countless traditions and celebrations. Here at McGuffey, we most certainly have our share of holiday traditions and celebrations: elementary holiday programs, band and choral concerts, a special Thanksgiving luncheon hosted by our middle and high school life skills students, and a Christmas luncheon hosted by our Family and Consumer Science students, just to name a few.
But we also recognize that the holiday season can be especially challenging for those in our community who may have a particular need or hardship. With this reality in mind, we try as a school to emphasize helping and serving others in our local community. While all our traditions hold a special place in the holiday calendar, this focus on giving and generosity is something we are particularly proud of.
A few of the ways in which our staff and students try to embody this spirit of giving include:
Middle School Student Forum students are holding a November food drive to support families in need. For more information, please contact student forum sponsor Laura McAnallen at laura.mcanallen@mcguffey.k12.pa.us
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is collecting socks to donate to community members in need and providing wrapped Christmas gifts to local Meals on Wheels participants. For more information, please contact NJHS sponsor Cristin Litman at cristin.litman@mcguffey.k12.pa.us
The High School Student Council will be participating in the 2,000 Turkey Initiative on November 19th to help support people in Washington County who are facing food insecurity. For more information, please contact the student council co-sponsors Kristin Anderson (kristin.anderson@mcguffey.k12.pa.us) and Alison Gray (alison.gray@mcguffey.k12.pa.us).
The National Honor Society (NHS) will be filling shoe boxes with Christmas goodies as part of the Operation Christmas Child holiday initiative. For more information, please contact NHS co-sponsors Susan Hamilton (susan.hamilton@mcguffey.k12.pa.us) and Emily Lafferty (emily.lafferty@mcguffey.k12.pa.us)
McGuffey Teen Action and McGuffey FFA will be partnering together for an annual McGuffey Holiday Gift Drive. Our FFA and Teen Action students will be collecting toys, clothing, coats, and shoes for kids in need. This long-running tradition supports around 70 total families and 150 students in grades K-12. Contributions of new and unused gifts or monetary donations are graciously accepted. For more information, please contact Teen Action co-sponsors Christina Geho (christina.geho@mcguffey.k12.pa.us) and Bobbie Jo Teagarden (bobbiejo.teagarden@mcguffey.k12.pa.us) and FFA Advisor Renee Cambruzzi (renee.cambruzzi@mcguffey.k12.pa.us).
As we look forward to a wonderful 2025 holiday season, we are proud to serve in support of our local community.
