Northland Pines School District’s staff and students
Pay It Forward
Following are just a few examples of how Northland Pines staff and students volunteer to make a positive difference in our communities and, in some cases, around the world.
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Adopt-A-Highway
In addition to all the ways our National Honor Society members volunteer throughout the community, a NEW activity was established this year. They are now part of Wisconsin's "Adopt-A-Highway" campaign. They have "adopted" 2 miles of state highway 45 North and they are responsible for cleaning those 2 miles three times each year!
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After school Bike Club and after school Cross Country Ski Club
Weather permitting of course. Some staff volunteer to take out anyone who wants to bike for about 1 & 1/2 hours after school. They also take kids out skiing for about the same amount of time.
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All American Kids Club
The All American Kids Club (AAKC) was started in the fall of 2012 to instill a sense of pride and patriotism in Kindergarten through 5th grade students, while thanking veterans for their service. The All American Kids Club would like to thank all of those that support our club and efforts, and thank you to all veterans for your service and sacrifice! If you would like more information about the AAKC, please contact Sarah Simac at Eagle River Elementary School. The All American Kids Club teamed up with the Eagle River Fire Department to buy 2 Honor Flight Tickets to surprise 2 local Veterans.
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Caps for Caden
Normally students are not allowed to wear caps in any of our schools. However, we allow kids at Eagle River Elementary to wear caps one day for any size donation and the proceeds go to a local family who has a child fighting a serious or chronic disease, in loving memory of our sweet student Caden Safer.
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Clean Boats/Clean Water; Shoreline Monitoring
Staff volunteer to look for invasive species on boats at boat landings and along the shorelines in our communities.
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CPR/AED certified Staff
A large percentage of Northland Pines staff members have been trained and certified in CPR/AED during the school year. About 92 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital, but statistics prove that if more people knew CPR, more lives could be saved. Immediate CPR can double, or even triple, a victim’s chance of survival.
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CPR/First Aid
All of our students that take our Health classes become fully certified in CPR/First Aid. The more students trained, the more likely we are to be able to save a life one day.
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Cranberry Fest
The Northland Pines Middle School staff and students have volunteered to run the Funnel Cake Booth at Cranberry Fest for the past twelve years. Students and staff work together to prepare the ever popular funnel cakes. Many students also help out the Chamber by working in the food tent, scooping up fresh cranberries or keeping the grounds clean as part of their community service. Volunteering is another way we give back to our community.
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Earth Day
Since 2003 and each year after, our Northland Pines High School students and staff take to the streets to help “clean up” our communities. Students volunteer to rake leaves and do various other yard chores for free to help out citizens in our communities. They also spend time cleaning up local parks and recreational areas.
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Department of Natural Resources
During the winter, staff volunteer to look for, track, and document wolf signs in the northwoods. Visit the WI DNR website.
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Frederick Place Fundraiser
Northland Pines Middle School 6th, 7th, and 8th graders raised $2,100 for a local shelter in just five days. The fundraiser started out as a competition between the grades. Students donated a dollar to buy a brick. The goal was to be the first class to build a house with the bricks. All grades completed their houses on the same day. Their giving spirit inspired local businesses to donate. "It was truly a testimonial to the fact that when educated about what are some good causes to reach out to, they come forward and can really see beyond their own needs," said Student Council co-advisor Becky Pokrandt. The middle school's student council organized the fundraiser. They decided to give the money to Frederick Place, a shelter in Rhinelander. "To go from a $300 thought to a $2,100 donation, obviously has exceeded our expectations and we are thrilled and very proud," added Pokrandt. Students also donated canned goods to Frederick Place.
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Knit for a Cure
Land O’Lakes Grades 2 through 5 knit scarves that are sold to raise money for Relay for Life to help fight cancer.
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Land O’Lakes Food Pantry
In celebration of the 100th Day of School, students and staff at the Land O' Lakes Elementary school held their annual 100th Day Food Drive in hopes of collecting 100 boxes/cans/packages of food for the local food pantry. The whole Land O' Lakes Elementary School helped donate food. The Kindergarten class then counts the food to see how much they have collected. Then they haul all the food over to the food pantry on sleds; the kids take turns pulling the sleds. While they were in the Headwaters Food Pantry, the ladies there made sure they each got a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie! They also all got to sign their names on a chalkboard displayed at the Food Pantry. On the way back to school the kids took turns pulling each other in the sleds.
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Mission Possible’s Running Club
Mission Possibles introduces elementary school students to the fun of running at a young age as an exciting way to help develop healthy habits for life. Students and volunteer staff work together to develop the strength and courage needed to complete their first 5k event, but to enhance existing positive character traits, conflict resolution skills, healthy living choices, and community service involvement. If you are interested in supporting the Mission Possibles Running Club, please contact Sara Adamovich. Follow them on twitter.
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National Honor Society Members
All of our National Honor Society members volunteer a minimum of 40 hrs. per school year throughout the community.
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Northwoods Children’s Museum
Staff and students volunteer at many of the museum’s special events. Visit the Northwoods Children's Museum's website.
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NPSD Cares Toy Drive
Staff and students donate and help to collect donated “gently used” toys for children and then invite families in need to come and pick out items to give their children for Christmas. Students wrap the gifts for the parents/guardians to take home with them.
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Pennies for Patients
The students and staff of St. Germain Elementary School participate in Pennies for Patients each year. The classrooms team up and challenge each other to see who can bring in the most pennies. All of the funds are then donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation.
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Pink Night
Pink night is sponsored by the Volleyball Booster Club in honor of October-breast cancer awareness month. Members of the booster club collect donations from area businesses as well as national organizations for a raffle on pink night. Through an anonymous donation, the booster club was able to purchase pink jerseys for the varsity team to wear during the month of October. Pink night t-shirts are sold for the special occasion. The staff and students help raise money by coming to the game, buying raffle tickets and participating in the activities. The money is donated to Relay for Life.
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Red Cross Shelters
All Northland Pines buildings have been designated as Red Cross Shelters in the event of family or community disasters.
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Relay for Life
Staff and students volunteer to participate on teams for Relay for Life. There are two elementary teams, one from SOAR Charter School and one from Eagle River Elementary School and over 300 students participate to raise money to help fight cancer.
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Salvation Army
Many staff members and students volunteer to “ring the bell” in order to raise money for the Salvation Army during the holiday season.
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Special Olympics
Many staff volunteer to help coach special needs athletes in bowling, snowshoeing and with track and field events. Staff also volunteers at Young Athletes; a sports play program for children of ALL abilities ages 2-7, focusing on physical, cognitive and social development.
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Thanksgiving Dinner Bags
It has become a tradition for the Northland Pines School District to help out the Vilas Food Pantry and its families. Each year, the staff and students at St. Germain Elementary, Eagle River Elementary, Montessori Learning Center, Northland Pines Middle School, SOAR Charter Middle School, Northland Pines High School, SOAR Charter High School and some local businesses, work together to fill over 300 bags with the items needed for a tasty Thanksgiving dinner. The bags are collected and then delivered to the food pantry as our way of sharing and caring for our community.
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Thousand Smiles
Land O Lakes Elementary School staff and students volunteer to raise money for people in Haiti who need dental work.
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Veterans’ Day Program
Each year the Northland Pines School District plans a Veterans Day Assembly to honor our veterans, both past and present. It is a time for looking back, a time for looking forward and a time to say thank you to the brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight to protect the freedom and rights that we enjoy as Americans. Student speakers, elementary through high school chorus and music students and the middle school and high school band take part in the ceremony. Members of the V.F.W. and Ladies’ Auxiliary join in the tribute to our veterans. This is an opportunity to thank the Veterans from around the Eagle River area and beyond for their service to our country.
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Warm The Children
Staff donates winter clothing (hats, scarves, coats, mittens, boots, etc.) to this organization which helps our communities’ families in need of these items during the cold winter months.
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Warm The Heart
Students in grades 3 through 5 in St. Germain make a dry soup mix, bag it up, attach a personal message and donate it to the Food Pantry. The program uses a blend of both community service as well as math to teach the kids about helping the community.
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Helping Hands at Community Events
Numerous staff and students volunteer at the following community events. A few of these events bring quite an economic boost to our communities and these are just a few more examples of how Northland Pines students and staff give back to the communities who support us so kindly:
- Angel On My Shoulder - Polar Plunge
- World Class Snowmobile Derby
- Klondike Days
- Blood drives held regularly at the high school
- Jump Rope for Heart held at the elementary schools
- Pond Hockey
- Forest Fest at Trees for Tomorrow
- E.R.R.A.
- Youth coaching
- Vilas County Animal Shelter
- Northwoods Wildlife Center in Minocqua
- Fill the truck through Trigs
- Youth Days Auction
- Highway Clean-up
- Oneida County Animal Shelter
- Community Shares Dinner
- Otter/Lynx Lake Association
- Ronald McDonald House
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