First Colonial High School students are creating care packages for North Carolina teachers affected by Hurricane Helene earlier this year.
Each package includes a custom-designed bag featuring a purple vinyl version of the Mitchell Middle School’s logo. Inside the bags are friendship bracelets, candles and hand-painted oyster shells.
It was a group effort. English teachers Shepherd Scott and Ashley Mihelic and their 10th grade students worked with literacy coach Jennifer Stubbe, library media specialist Courtney Porter, library media specialist Wendy Nelson and library media assistant Stephanie Barfield.
Barfield’s son lives in the area and was directly impacted by the storm.
The care packages will be delivered to Mitchell Middle School before Winter Break as a gesture of solidarity and encouragement during this challenging time. Schools were closed a month. Transportation is still difficult as some roads are still impassable.
Mitchell County Schools stated in a press release: “We are grateful for the ongoing support from local agencies, volunteers, and our staff, who have all played a part in getting us back on track.”
Post from Mitchell County’s school division social media:
“After the roads were passable, we went to the high school to help others. Honestly, the first few days are a blur. I remember grabbing flashlights from backpacks, checking the school for damage, and setting up a supply area in the cafeteria. Later, we moved donations to the new school, and from there, it was boots on the ground. For the first few days, it was disheartening because we didn’t see many people, and we wondered if others knew just how bad things were. …
When we finally saw each other, we just hugged, grateful for their safety. Then support started flooding in: trailers, trucks, semis, carloads, and helicopter drops. People came from everywhere, some we’d never met.”
Courtney Porter is library media specialist and school media liaison at First Colonial High.
