JAMESTOWN – Students at Jamestown High School have finished a project aiming to bring awareness to domestic violence and child abuse in the community.
JHS students in Betsy Rowe-Baehr’s “Justice for All” classes launched a project called “The Shred Ahead” to benefit the Child Advocacy Program.
The project, school officials say, was an interactive opportunity for students and staff to look back on the last year and to look forward at what it has taught them.
Classes provided a two-sided activity handout to everyone that challenged students and staff to write down the worries and woes from last year that they would like to shred and reclaim their mindset with positive value statements that they kept.
“I believe it’s important to look back on what you went through to see how far you’ve come,” said high school junior Regan Coombs. “A lot of our experiences through the past year have surely been less than comforting or joyful, and being able to shred those thoughts is, in many ways, freeing.”
Throughout March, students had a “SHREDDING Station” before school and during some of the school day where people could come by and shred their worries and woes and relish in the temporary and satisfying freedom of letting those shreds go.
The class also kept track of the financial progress in the vibrant blue, front hallway cabinet, and when this campaign is complete, the paper shredding remains will be further donated to the animal shelter for bedding.
“It gives students a chance to make a difference in our society and help people out in need for whatever they are facing,” said high school senior Anthony Melendez.
Students and staff were encouraged to shed even without a machine. Participants were encouraged to just tear, rip, or cut the half-sheet worries as they saw fit. They also encourage participants to capture the moment and start a small social media movement by taking and posting a photo of the experience.
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