Roseburg Junior Academy (RJA) has celebrated school spirit with a spirit week for the past 20 years. This year, however, the RJA staff were inspired to turn the fun into more than just dressing differently or doing artistic hairdos. Because of the student enthusiasm and success of the projects tackled, the week will now be known as Spirit of Service Week. What better way to demonstrate school spirit than to practice service?
The first two days of the week were spent preparing boxes for Munguluni Mission School in Mozambique, an outreach project of the North Pacific Union Conference. RJA families supplied personal items to pack, while the junior academy had accumulated school items just for this endeavor. All 45 RJA students were able to stuff a large shoe box and include a personal letter with their pictures and a drawing. The child receiving the box in Africa will be able to see who sent it and feel a connection with their RJA friend.
During the next two days of the special week, students concentrated on designing cards for nursing home residents, practicing songs for presentation and then visiting two such facilities in the RJA neighborhood. Residents were very receptive to the children’s visit, and both homes invited the group back again.