There has been a lot going on at Carbon High since November, and in no small way, Carbon Christmas has become a more stellar event each year, largely because of the giving nature of students at the school.
“Here’s the bottom line,” said Bruce Bean, Carbon High School principal. “When you have 15 or 16-year-olds who start worrying about other people more than themselves, you really have something.”
He gave the example of one young man who had a real head of hair and that student came in and talked to Bean about a “save and shave” program. The entire student body actively engaged in Carbon Christmas. The student government is credited with organizing and following through with the entire fundraising process.
“They are awesome. Just that aspect of ‘let’s think of somebody else’s needs,’ is amazing for anyone, much less a teenager,” said Bean.
In another instance, a class was doing what is called a “class stall.”
“The students would bring money to class each day and the teacher couldn’t start the lesson until all the money was counted,” said Bean. “This one student went and got $100 worth of pennies expecting it would take the whole class period to count it. It was a science class and the teacher said
‘Okay, knowing that one penny equals this amount of weight, we can just weigh all the pennies and we can tell how many there are.’”
The teacher then took them in on the scales in the classroom, weighed it out and the weight measurement was off by about three pennies.
“They were done counting in five minutes,” said Bean. “The kid said, ‘That’s not fair,” and the teacher said, ‘Well, we counted it.’ So there are a lot of fun things associated with doing these drives to help people during the holidays.”
At a recent board meeting, there was some discussion about how many of the fundraising projects the high school were doing so well, but then there was also some concern about some of the projects, because they could put students at risk.
For instance, going to a door asking if they can do odd jobs to raise money could be a problem. If it is in the house, how safe, how appropriate, is that? Bean said unfortunately in some cases the enthusiasm the kids have could get them into trouble. But he also told a story about one instance a couple of years ago.
“Students went to the door of a house where they asked an older lady if she had anything they could do and she told them to come in,” he said. “She gave them some cookies and just talked to them for a half an hour. She just wanted someone to visit with and they performed the service.”
He said all the work and sacrifice by the kids gains a huge reward when the school gives a $500 gift card to someone who needs it, and the presenter says for them to go buy their three small kids a Christmas tree and some gifts.
This year the school had a goal of raising $27,000 for the community holiday season. Instead the students raised $33,400 in cash and commodities.
That’s one thing to celebrate, but Bean said there is much more.
“We have intervention for students here, to help them with their work where needed. But one of the reasons we have these adults with them is because they are an advocate for the students, too,” explained Bean. “For students who are falling behind or are having behavior problems or other things, they are here seven hours a day and with that program, there is someone there to keep an eye on them and to encourage them.
“The intervention specialist may see an assignment missing or see they are having problem with a quiz, so they often jump in and say, ‘Here, let me help you.’ This isn’t necessarily about tutoring them, but to help them be organized and teach them some skills.”
He said because of that there are kids who have talked to him, and said with tears in their eyes, “This is the first time I have ever gone a quarter and not failed a class.”
“That’s a celebration; that’s a victory,” said Bean. “You know sometimes we don’t make the right decisions, and sometimes school can be a bureaucracy, but for the most part, the 55 people who work here, from clerical staff to teachers to custodians, really care. The point is, we are not perfect, but we do care. I think sometimes that message gets lost.”
Bean also discussed extracurricular activities at the school and what a busy place Carbon High School is.
“Right now we are in full swing when it comes to those activities,” he said. “Right now we have drill at state going on, wrestling divisionals, we are winding down the end of basketball season, debate and swim team, among many others. There is not a night, even sometimes on Sundays, the building isn’t being used.”
Bean also said two outstanding assemblies recently took place. One was with an ex-MMA fighter with a positive anti-bullying message. The other was the Timpanogas Storytelling group.
“When they told me they wanted to present to the student body, I wasn’t sure how that would go,” said Bean. “You know we have 14-, 15-year-old kids here, and I was worried. But after they started it there was dead silence in the auditorium.
The presenter told the kids about her time in high school and how things weren’t just working for her. And then she found a teacher who believed in her. She only spoke for 30 minutes, but she could have gone on another 30. Afterward, kids were coming up to the stage to talk to her.”
Carbon High students raise more than $33,000; learn holiday lesson in helping others
Carbon High School raised over $33,000 in contributions this past holiday season to help people in need.