Usually lunch with your boss doesn’t mean spending a couple of hours duct-taped to a wall. But that’s what Nick LaPete, Miscoe Hill’s music-7th/8th grade band teacher and Brendan Ferrari, Miscoe Hill’s music/chorus teacher did on Friday March 7, along with Principal Anne Meyer.
How did this come about?
Eighth graders Maegan and Nick Herd were inspired by a program called Find Your Voice and wanted to bring it to Miscoe Hill. Find Your Voice is a bullying prevention program run by a Marblehead Massachusetts Junior, Hayley Reardon. In the 7th grade Reardon watched a friend leave school because of her struggles with online bullying. Reardon turned to music and wrote a song called “She’s Falling,” as a way to work through the experience. Since then Reardon has been actively involved in bullying prevention, traveling the country sharing her message and her music.
Maegan and Nick shared the Find Your Voice program with members of the Miscoe Hill Friends of Rachel Club who agreed bringing the to Miscoe was a great idea. The Club decided they wanted to raise the funds for the program themselves.
Rachel Diodati came up with the duck tape fundraiser. The students asked Mrs. Meyer, Mr. LaPete, and Mr. Ferrari if they would participate in the fundraiser and they said yes even know it meant standing on a milk crate from 11:15 to 1 p.m.
During lunch on March 7 Mrs. Meyer, Mr. LaPete, and Mr. Ferrari stepped on the milk crates and allowed students in grades 5-8 to tape them to the walls. Students bought the duct tape strips for $1 each and gleefully taped away. At around 1 p.m. Mrs. Meyer was feeling a little claustrophobic but was smiling and chit chatting with the students.
Mr. LaPete said, “They always pick the new guys.” Mr. LaPete and Mr. Ferrari both joined the Miscoe Hill Staff this year. Mr. LaPete said the students asked him if he would do it and he said yes. “They new I would bring in a lot of money,” joked LaPete. One student asked Mr. Ferrari how the weather was up there. He responded, “It’s hot.”
Taking photos with their taped up teachers seemed to be just as entertaining as putting the tape on them.
When the crates were removed Mrs. Meyers was the only who was clearly stuck to the wall. .
The fundraiser was a success bringing in approximately $400.
The Friends of Rachel Club is under the direction of Mr. McInnis and Mrs. Fleury.
Click to enlarge images.
UPTON DAILY 