LOWELL – Lowell High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society has received three statewide honors from the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association.
The chapter, under the guidance of adviser Stephanie Donahue, was selected as a Commended Chapter Award for 2020-2021; LHS’s Abigail Mitchell was named the North Regional Student of the Year; and one of the chapter’s charitable partners, It’s All About the Kids, has been selected as one of two winners of the Golden Torch Award for 2020-21, given to organizations that are good neighbors through their support of schools and community projects.
The letter of commendation for the Commended Chapter Award reads: “The activities these students and their adviser planned and implemented in the middle of a pandemic were a blessing to those school and community members in need. … If NHS members could not donate items or money, they generously gave of their time. This unselfish approach to working toward improving the situations of school and community members is highly commendable.”
The chapter held two food drives, collecting 1,300 pound of food for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, as well as a toy drive to help It’s All About the Kids.
The selection committee noted Abigail’s efforts in promoting the food drives and a toy drive for It’s All About the Kids, as well as making cards for veterans and tutoring other students.
Finally, in selecting LHS chapter partner It’s All About the Kids as Golden Torch Award recipient, the commendation letter reads: “In 1989, after witnessing the needs of children in a local day care the, organization started by giving a special toy to each child in need.
Since then, the program has expanded to working with Lowell firefighters to provide emergency assistance to families suffering from losses incurred by a fire. This includes buying clothing and personal-care items for each family effected.”
It continues: “The organization works with social workers and nurses to identify children and their families in need. Families are ‘adopted’ by community members. They are supplied with warm clothing, pajamas, hats, gloves and toys. The group also provides gift cards in the amount of $50 at Market Basket to the families. High-school students with children are also recipients of help by receiving toys for their children.”
