Submitted by Vicki Baum
Recently, the eight girls who make up Girl Scout Troop 40950 of Berkeley Heights, worked on a special project as part of their Bronze Award Project (highest honor at the Junior Level – 4/5th grade) and embraced the opportunity to give back to Thomas P. Hughes School, where they had all once been students. Inspired by the Hughes motto of SPARKLE – Showing, People, Authentic, Respect, Kindness and, Love, Everyday – the girls set out to determine what project they would undertake.
To earn a Bronze Award, the girls must complete a ‘Take Action’ project. According to Troop leader Gretchen Szabo, “After identifying several community concerns, the girls chose to focus on concerns they had about negative messages that kids receive through various channels and decided they wanted to create a positive environment in that reflected the Hughes SPARKLE vibe…kindness, positivity, respect.”
With their plan to ‘energize’ and add SPARKLE at Hughes in place, the girls set their plan into motion and decided to focus on brightening up the bathrooms. However, when COVID-19 caused the schools to close down, many of the ideas they had been planning for needed to be scaled back, but the ceiling tiles were still doable. “The girls designed and painted a set of ceiling tiles for the girls bathroom and for the boys bathroom in the Upper Grade wing at Hughes. They are now working on a video to share with the Hughes 4th and 5th graders that will explain the project and encourage others to promote the positive messages,” added Mrs. Szabo.
Once the video is completed and has been shared with the intended audience, the troop will be ready to submit for the award. Usually a Bronze Award project needs to be completed by September after their 5th grade year (all of the girls are now 6th graders), but there is a 3 month extension available this year due to COVID-19 and the girls are on track to meet the deadline.
Principal of Hughes School, Mrs. Jessica Nardi added, “It is always so special when our students choose to give-back to our school in unique and extraordinary ways, and we are so grateful to Troop 40590 for this gift. This project will bring good cheer and positivity to all of the students who enter the bathrooms each day and remind them how special they are and that there is a SPARKLE in each and every one of them.”
Thank you Girl Scout Troop 40590 for this incredible gift to Hughes School and thank you Mrs. Nardi for sharing this wonderful news with the rest of the district. Good luck Troop 40590 on completing your project – you truly do SPARKLE.
