Holiday happenings at WH, Troup schools include lots of giving

Troup Elementary also recently mounted its own stage production, as first-graders presented their annual Christmas show. At right, the Candy Cane Kid (played by Quincy Kincade) and Santa (Brandon Pike) discuss the best way to foil Bubble Gum Bart's plan to ruin Christmas. See more photos on Page 7A.

This time of the year while students continue to fill their heads with knowledge, their hearts are filled with compassion for the less fortunate in their community. Along with celebrations and music of the season comes a sense of giving and a wish to make everyone's Christmas a happy one.

As always, all of the schools in Troup ISD are busy gathering in canned goods and nonperishable food items to heap in mounds under the trees in their hallways.

These goods will be gathered by the Agriculture and Family and Consumer Sciences classes and hauled to a central location where they will separate them into categories to be distributed by Troup Cares. According to Karen Agnew at Troup High School. This is a 15- year old tradition.

Photos/Suzanne Loudamy The first grade classes at Troup Elementary had a rootin' tootin' good time as they performed their musical "Christmas at the OK Corral" for the school, members of the Troup Rotary and parents on Tuesday. Pictured above right, the Mayor (played by Walker Adams) and Bubble Gum Bart (Weslee Ross) talk over Bart's dastardly plans to make a "sticky situation" out of Christmas. The whole town was shocked to hear his plans. Of course, in the end, a Merry Christmas was had by all.

Troup High School is having their Christmas band concert on Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Whitehouse schools are generously bringing canned goods in for Project Joy.

Several campuses have taken on other giving projects as well. Whitehouse Junior High reports that their faculty has joined the ranks by raising $1,151 for the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Faculty and staff "purchased" the right to wear jeans to school and the money went to this worthy cause.

National Junior Honor Society at WJHS has collected a little over 2,300 cans of food this year with more coming in each day. They too will be purchasing gifts for children chosen from the Angel Tree.

Student council members from both Whitehouse High School and WJHS will be shopping for children in need at the Whitehouse Fred's store.

The youngest students and their students are also taking part. Along with canned goods for Project Joy, the teachers have paid their dues to wear jeans. Classrooms have made cards and letters for the troops oversees and the teachers contributed items to be shipped as well.

Student Council members at Holloway Middle School have encouraged their classmates to bring not only canned goods, but also any spare change or money they would like to donate. They came with piggy banks, ice cream money and checks from mom and dad to help out.

A little healthy competition is also good to get the ball rolling.

"We made this a classroom competition within grade levels. The class that collected the most money from each grade level won a pizza party," said Tonya Turnage, Student Council sponsor and counselor. "From fifth grade, Doris Turner's class won, and from sixth grade, Margaret Stewart's class. Those pizza parties will be donated by Student Council and will be rewarded to the winners before Christmas break."

Turnage said she will be taking the student council officers to spend the more than $2,000 the school raised to provide for the eight children they chose from the Angel Tree.

Higgins Intermediate, too, is collecting the canned goods that will be picked up soon by Project Joy. Grade level winners will be announced Friday.

Also, beginning on Dec. 10, they will be taking donations of socks, mittens and gloves that will adorn the Christmas tree in the foyer. These will be collected until school is dismissed on Dec. 21 and then will be taken to the Salvation Army for distribution.

Higgin's Christmas musical will be performed tonight at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. The musical is titled "Forty Winks 'Til Christmas."

Whitehouse High School will also be offering a fun night at their Madrigal Dinner on Dec. 15 and 16. The dinner and entertainment is presented by the WHS Choir.