The project started last year with the goal of exposing students to the rewards of doing something to help others and knocking out a few projects around the school. This year, that idea grew even larger with the entire student body participating in over 80 projects designed to make the Pulaski County High School campus a better place, help several organizations located in our community, and expose the rise in Cougar Pride throughout our county.
Pulaski County students were joined by local leaders from the Pulaski County School Board, Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, Pulaski County Parks and Recreation, Pulaski County Tourism, and the County Administration team to work on and complete the projects.
“I think they’re a very proud community of students and want to take care of their school and the division and the county as well, so it’s just been amazing,” PCPS Superintendent Rob Graham said. “I’d like to see this become an annual event. I think it’s so good for our children. It teaches the importance of the five C’s that the Virginia Department of Education talks about all the time. It’s very innovative. It is a ton of work for this faculty and staff but they’ve done a super job organizing it and you can see how excited everybody is.”
The projects involved a wide variety of tasks. Some students washed and cleaned school buses. Some painted walls, hallways, and poles located throughout the school. Others cleaned and renovated restrooms. The exterior breezeway and windows were given a good once-over. Benches were repaired and cleaned up. The PCHS Library was given some attention, along with the main office, the pods, Cougar Center, Clothing Closet, and gym.
Other students worked on projects that upgraded or improved other areas around the school. The FFA and Agriculture areas saw students working on stalls for farm animals that will be housed there, giving students a chance to work with them. The auxiliary gym and wrestling room were given makeovers, and lockers were built in the wrestling locker room. The Jeff McCoy Theatre was thoroughly cleaned and storage areas organized. The area in and around Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium/Joel Hicks Field was visited and given some attention, along with the PCHS Field House and PE Equipment room and locker rooms. The parking lots were checked and cleaned.
Other students worked on landscaping, flower beds, mulch, and weed eating around the school. The Cougar cross country team went to Randolph Park and worked on the area they use for training and meets, making that area safer and nicer to visit. Some students visited the middle school or our elementary schools and helped with projects at those, while those younger students were also involved in their own versions of the project. Planters were built. The Early Childhood Development playground area and preschool entrance was cleaned up and landscaped. Welding students created a metal “LOVE” sign for campus.
Students who weren’t involved in manual labor projects weren’t left out, as many of them provided support for other projects. Some students read to young students at the elementary schools. Students roamed the grounds with cameras to document the day and posted a video to social media with the help of the video production class students. Homecoming projects included making corsages, décor, banners and posters for the big night. The Culinary Arts students cooked and bakes items, providing those and water for people involved in the work. Some students helped make cards for nursing home patients and members of the military, and worked on kits and goody bags to take to area rehab centers.
“The unity of our students and staff working together is something you can’t forget,” PCHS Principal Mrs. Jennifer Bolling said. “It’s a memory to last a lifetime for not only the students, but every one of us as faculty and staff.”
Outside of the community leaders who participated, other groups, businesses and individuals helped with sponsorships to buy materials needed to make the projects happen. Sponsors included Dublin EZCare beside Walmart; Dublin United Methodist Church; City of Refuge Pulaski; PCPS School Board Members Timothy Hurst, Paige Cash, Beckie Cox, Penny Golden, and Bill Benson; Honaker House Farms; Erika Tolbert; PCHS Athletics; Regina Piland; Sabrina Cox; Aaron Carr; Kara Wood; The Hull Family; Jaime Thompson; Jaycees; Josh Taylor; PCHS Administrators; Rob Graham; Tara Grant; Sarah Polcha; PCHS SCA; Amy Barker; Julie Gill; Amanda Woodyard; Park37; River Mountain Properties; April Keister; The Pulaski County YMCA; Pulaski County Parks and Recreation; Laura Walters; Anthony Akers; Shannon Ainsley; Jonathan Sweet; Chris Stafford; Mike Mooney, and many more anonymous donors.
To see more photos from PCHS Go Day, visit Pulaski County High School on Facebook.
