Student Council's 'Keep It Clean' Drive

Parsley's Community Service Project this year was begun by the Student Council who initiated the collection of toiletries that would be donated to a homeless shelter.  It was called the "Keep It Clean" drive.

From this idea, Mrs. Sload, art teacher, involved all students in each grade level by integrating art lessons with a product that could be used to make the donations more special and heart-felt.

As a texture lesson, Kindergarten students sponged the white paper bags with paint.

First graders created Eric Carle inspired tags. If you've ever read an Eric Carle story, you've no doubt admired his beautiful illustrations. Using a similar technique, the students created beautiful tags for the bags.  A sticker on the back shares that the bags were donated by Parsley Elementary students.

Second grade students had been studying the life cycle of butterflies so in art class they made a butterfly clip decoration that would be used to close the bag.  

Butterflies and flowers naturally go together and since third graders had been reviewing the plant life cycle in science, they created tissue paper flowers for the outside of the bags.  

As a review for EOGs, fourth graders wrote poems that were put into the bags.  Receiving one of these poems would bring a smile to any one's face!

The fifth grade students divided the donated toiletries among approximately 100 bags.  The poems were also put in the bags and the tags and flowers and butterfly clips were used to decorate and close the bags.

Boxes of Love Project

Parsley students designed cards to send to students at Sandy Hook Elementary. Students carefully designed their cards to show their love and support.  These cards of love will be delivered with the Boxes of Love project.

Friends Feeding Friends 2012

 Each fall, Parsley's Student Council, along with Lowes Food Stores, sponsors the Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive. This year our families donated a total of 2005 pounds of food.
Student Council members helped load the bags of food onto the food bank truck. All donated food will be given to local families. 

Tie Dyeing More Shirts for eZ Tees

For the second year in a row, Parsley students in Kindergarten through 5th grade participated in a tie-dyeing project for their community service project.  They made almost 600 more tie-dyed t-shirts that will be made into special hospital gowns for children that will then be donated to hospitals.

Each student donated a plain white t-shirt.  In art class, Mrs. Sload walked the students through the steps by first showing them how to twist, scrunch, or knot the shirts and secure them with rubber bands.  Then the students were on their own.  Sometimes it was a group effort to get it just right!

Each shirt was then carefully dipped in two complementary colors. 
It's like magic when the shirts are unwrapped and you get to see each unique design!

Students also made 'Get Well' cards for the children who will receive these shirts.

Here are a few of the finished shirts.  Volunteers for eZ tees by ejp, inc., started by a former Parsley student, will turn these t-shirts into hospital gowns by cutting them down the back and sewing on ties.  We are honored to be a part of this special project!

Students in Mrs. Radford's 1st grade shared these thoughts:

Sally V - I'm so sad for those kids to be in the hospital. I hope the t-shirts will help them feel better because they are prettier than those gowns.

 Jonny - I hope those kids feel better wearing our shirts.

Taylor - I'm so glad I did the shirts. They don't have anything else nice to wear so I hope they feel better in their new shirts.

Steve - They only get to wear those shirts so the new shirts will let them know they are still OK and they will be fine.

Bradley - It made me feel happy when we did the shirts. I might know some people in the hospital that I didn't know about. I would be happy to know that some people got the shirt I made. It will hopefully make them feel better.

Tessa - I really felt happy making the shirts. They don't get many surprises so I hope this surprises them a lot!

Sydney - It was cool because those shirts were cool.

Myles - It felt good to help somebody who was in the hospital. I liked doing this project.

Shea - I was nice because they were FUN shirts for the sick. The colorful tie-dye shirts will be COLORFUL and fun for them while they are sick!

And from Ms. Cannon's 5th grade:

"I think it's nice that we are doing something for the people who need help." -Evan

"I thought it was nice because it was providing for people." -Ronald

"I think it was nice to help make the kids happy during surgery." -Scott

"It was very fun to do. It meant a lot to me because of my friend Zack." -Emma

"I really flet good about it because I knew it would go to children in the hospital" -Shaun

"I enjoyed making the easy tees because they were fun, easy, and helped the sick or injured." -Ryan

"I thought it was going to a good cause." -Christopher

"I felt that the t-shirt project was very thoughtful and kind." -Sophia

"I thought it was very thoughtful of us to make the t-shirts." -Tailin

"I felt happy I was helping other kids." -Lauren

"It was fun and I felt happy because it would make the kids who were getting them a little happier." -Lily

Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive

It has been a Parsley tradition for our Student Council to sponsor the Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive. To get out the word and ensure a successful project, they made and displayed posters around the school and also talked with each classroom.

When the Food Bank truck came, they delivered to the truck the bags of food that had lined the halls of Parsley for a couple weeks. This year, Parsley families generously donated 1,636 pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Special eZ Tees Gown Brightens Hospital Stay

Rather suddenly, our 16 month old daughter was admitted to NHRMC last week for a 3 day hospital stay. When we got into her room we were handed a tied-dyed tshirt/hospital gown for her from your community service efforts. It really was special and brightened a not so bright moment at the hospital. She had a smile on her face most of her stay and we like to think it was partially because she was so comfy in her cheery t shirt.


We were also so touched by the beautiful hand written get well note that was attached to the tee signed by "Alex."


Thank you again for your great idea of these hospital ts and thanks to your school for making them for the kids at NHRMC.

Christine and Josh Challeen

E-Z Tees Delivered to Children at NHRMC

Jordan Pipkin and the E-Z Tee volunteers worked for months converting the tie-died t-shirts into hospital gowns. On October 31, 2011, 350 of the 604 t-shirts were presented to the NHRMC in the children's wing. Each t-shirt was individually wrapped and decorated with a card made by a Parsley student. Mrs. Mayo and Jordan presented shirts to children currently in the hospital.

The rest of the t-shirts will be sent to the hospitals in Chapel Hill and Ohio where Zack received care.

WWAY TV3 covered this event. You can read the story here.