Griswold Middle Schhol and its students participate in a wide variety of community service including:
Senior Citizen Luncheon:
GMS has held semi-annual luncheons for the past 6 years for Rocky Hill senior citizens. Grandparents of students and individuals from local senior citizen centers are invited to come to GMS for lunch. Students in Mrs. OConnor's and Mrs. Wolfe's classes cook, clean, and serve their guests. Money for these events are raised through a quilt raffle (also made by the students) during open house.
Food Banks and Area Shelters:
GMS students have shown their generosity through food drives and our "Christmas Basket" program. A food drive is held in conjunction with all dances as students donate a can of non-perishable food when buying their tickets. Christmas baskets filled with clothing, gifts, toys, and food decorated in Christmas colors are donated to a local area shelter.
American Heart Association:
Griswold Middle School teachers raised money for the American Heart Association as part of their "dress down days". Last year GMS teachers raised over$500 for the American Heart Association by donating $1 each on "dress down day" and GMS basketball players raised over $1000 by selling carnations through the "Hoops for Hearts" program.
Giveback Day:
Rocky Hill "Giveback Day" began last year as a way of thanking the Rocky Hill community for our "new" school. Students organized into teams and cleaned streams, ponds, parks, and raked leaves of senior citizens' homes. This year's Giveback Day was held on October 25 and included work at the Historical Society . This project is in conjunction with the national Giveback Day program.
Presidential Community Service Award:
GMS participates in the Presidential Community Service program. Each year a student from our community is nominated to represent our school in this nationwide contest. Last year Jessica Roy was the recipient of this award with Kathy Anderson as the runner-up.
Book Donations:
GMS and the town of Rocky Hill feel it is important for our district to help less fortunate school systems when possible. Rocky Hill has therefore donated "old" textbooks to other towns when new textbooks have been purchased for GMS. This year, GMS donated texts in mathematics, science, and social studies to The Shiloh School in Hartford.