Porcine peck helps out Southern M.S. fundraising effort

Friday, March 24, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photo by Darwin Weigel Julie Harris, a reading and language arts teacher at Southern Middle School kisses Franklin, a pig, at the school March 17 for the completion of a National Junior Honor Society fundraiser. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Students in the National Junior Honor Society at Southern Middle held a fundraiser at the school where students could pay 50 cents to cast a vote on the teacher who would have to kiss a pig.

Staff writer Gretchen Phillips reports voting took place in the cafeteria during lunches from March 1 through March 15 so all students could participate.

The lucky teacher with the most votes was Julie Harris, a reading and language specialist for grades 6 through 8.

Harris said in a later interview that in the beginning while the fundraiser was going on she wasn’t even in the running. It was towards the end of the fundraiser when Harris realized not only was she in the running but she was close to winning.

The pig-kissing took place on Friday, March 17.

Harris’s sixth-grade class and honor society students watched as she kissed Franklin, a 160-pound gray and black pig owned by Calvert County Commissioner Linda Kelley. Franklin is one of six pigs owned by Kelley and is often the one who makes public appearances.

‘‘Aaaaaaw” was the sentiment in the front hall of the middle school as Harris puckered up for the kiss.

‘‘I was nervous at first,” she said about having to kiss Franklin.

After Harris kissed Franklin, the students convinced special education teacher and honor society advisor Jill Johnson and Principal Lawrence Butler to kiss the pig also. Butler said that he was prepared to kiss Franklin to show students his support of the fundraiser.

‘‘It was really funny,” said Courtney Parkes, an eighth-grader and member of the honor society. Parkes said students raised $78 for the event and the money will be used for various projects and activities around the school.

Funds available for home repairs

Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee Inc. has announced that it has received an award of $50,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development Services.

The funding from USDA’s Housing Preservation Grant will be made available to eligible low-income households that are in need of home repairs.

Call 301-274-4474 or 410-535-1010 ext. 262 for more information.

Huntingtown High PTSA offers scholarships

The Huntingtown High School PTSA will be offering scholarship opportunities to Huntingtown seniors who plan to attend college or technical⁄trade school upon graduation. Applications are available on the HHS PTSA Web page at www. calvertnet.k12.md.us ⁄schools⁄hhs⁄PTSA.html or in the Guidance Counselor Department Office.

The deadline for application submissions is April 3.