On May 10th, 650 Monroe High School students wearing red shirts emerged into our community for our annual Day of Service. This annual event was started in 2013 as an opportunity for students and staff at MHS to work with community groups, local municipalities, and non-profit organizations to make Monroe a better place for everyone. Since that time, over 20,000 hours have been given back to the Monroe Community through Day of Service.
This year’s event highlighted the work that staff at MHS has done throughout the year in character development with students. CHEESE is an acronym for character, hard work, empathy, excellence, safe choices, and engaged learners. The staff at Monroe High School believe that these are core values that our graduates should possess to become valuable members of society. The work that is done on Day of Service focuses on character, hard work and empathy.
To that end, this year’s event kicked off with an opening rally wherein guest speaker, John Bauman, President of Colony Brands Foundation, delivered a powerful message focused on the importance of giving back to our community and the impact each student can have in doing so. Bauman spoke from the heart reflecting on his best friend who had a great impact on others in our Monroe community. He shared that as an MHS student, he never imagined how one person could make such a big difference and impact so many lives. Bauman closed by encouraging the students to look for opportunities to make a difference in our community, and they set out to do just that.
Students were then engaged in a variety of service activities with site coordinators and MHS staff. Each site had unique needs, and a crew of students was sent to meet them. Some jobs required pulling weeds, spreading mulch, planting flowers, or moving rocks. Other jobs required cleaning, organizing, and moving materials. Students also completed painting projects, washed windows, and picked up litter. While some students walked to and from the job sites, others were bussed thanks to the generosity of Lamer’s Transportation Services. For many staff, this is a highlight of the year. Working alongside students and getting dirty is fun, invigorating, and builds bonds that are different from those made in the classroom. Students and staff learn a lot about each other’s skills and strengths outside of the classroom as they roll up their sleeves together for our community.
Thank you!
A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in this year’s event, which is only possible each year because of their commitment to our students and our community. Thank you to Colony Brands for sponsoring shirts for every MHS student and adult participant. The sight of the students, faculty, staff, and bus drivers wearing the official DOS shirt is inspiring and unifying. It demonstrates our commitment that we are all in this together and sets us up to accomplish great things that morning. Gratitude is owed to Lamer’s Bus Service for organizing transportation routes and providing bussing and drivers to and from those sites that were not walkable. Also, we sincerely appreciate Walmart providing water to our students and staff while they were out on the job sites. Finally, to our community partners, MSD administration, MHS staff, and MHS students, thank you for bringing to life Day of Service 2024.
This year we were blessed with the generosity of following organizations, groups, and community partners in the Monroe Community.
● Abraham Lincoln School
● Big Brothers Big Sisters of Green County
● Bountiful Hope Gardens
● Cadiz Springs Park
● Cheesemaker Booster Club
● City of Monroe — Project Rain Water
● City of Monroe Rail Painting
● DNR Badger Trail Clean-up
● Green County Child Advocacy Center
● Green County Courthouse
● Green County Family YMCA
● Green County Food Pantry
● Green County Highway Department
● Green County Humane Society
● Green County Veterans Memorial Park
● Green Haven Family Advocates
● Historic Cheesemaking Center
● Kiwanis Youth Cabin
● Lamers Bus Service
● Monroe Arts Center
● Monroe Clinic Hospital
● Monroe Golf Club
● Monroe Health Services
● Monroe Main Street
● Monroe Middle School
● Monroe Parks Dept
● Monroe Senior Center
● Monroe Theater Guild
● Northside Elementary School
● Parkside Elementary School
● Pleasant View Nursing Home
● SSM Health Monroe Hospice Home
● St. Clare Friedenshiem
● St. John’s United Church of Christ
● St. Victor’s School
● Thrivent Financial Services
● Turner Hall/Wisc Cheese Corp
● Union Presbyterian Church
— Tim Brown is the Monroe High School Day Of Service Co-Coordinator. He can be contacted at timothybrown@monroe.k12.wi.us.
