LISBON — A new program at Philip W. Sugg Middle School is giving students the opportunity to hone leadership skills and help their community.

When Assistant Principal and Captains Council adviser Michael Toomey suggested the council organize a last-minute collection drive earlier this year, students rose to the challenge.

The Captains Council had a week to organize and execute the collection drive before February break.

But students were quick to organize the project. In just four days, they collected more than 1,600 food items and raised $800 for two local families in need.

“They took the reins, and they just made it happen,” Toomey said.

The secret to their success? Letting students take the lead.

The Captains Council knew that offering a good prize was key for motivating students and staff to participate. They suggested that for every donation, students and staff could be entered in a raffle for the opportunity to throw a pie at Toomey’s face or dump a bucket of water over him.

Toomey agreed, and after the collection was complete, gamely took four pies to the face and a shower of cold water.

“It was pretty interesting to hear the cheers and the roars when I announced who the winners were over the intercom,” he said. “You could kind of hear it echoing down the hallways, which was pretty cool to hear.”

The whole thing turned into a huge celebration for the school, Toomey said. Even a month later, students on the Captains Council were still thrilled by their success.

“I’ve learned that whatever you set your mind to, it can happen if you put effort in and you have a really good team,” eighth grader Brandon Long said. The council, he added, is one of the best teams he’s ever been on.

When Toomey put together the first Captains Council last year, he wanted a group of students driven to make their school and community better.

“We saw the students really grow and and really develop that voice at an eighth grade level last year, which really motivated us to make it a schoolwide thing this year,” Toomey said.

The selection process is rigorous, he explained. Students must submit an application to administrators, who also collect feedback from their peers and teachers. Finalists are are interviewed by Toomey.

There are 14 students on the council this year: six from eighth grade, four from seventh grade and four from sixth grade.

Over the past month, Captains Council members have focused on planning their next initiative, making toys for homeless pets.

“They don’t have homes and they’re in the shelters most of the time and it’s probably boring in there,” seventh grader Lauren Vella said. Students want to “make them happier, make it feel more like home.”

Fellow council member Sophia Kuhl agreed, adding that making toys is the perfect project to get the entire school involved.

If students create enough toys to hit the council’s target and stay on the task, they’ll have the opportunity to take photos with Principal Ryan McKenney, who they plan to tape to the wall.

It’s not quite as crazy as hitting Toomey in the face with a pie, eighth grader Lauren Moreau said, but she thinks it will be a strong incentive for students.

Normally, students in the Captains Council wouldn’t interact due to the separation of grades, Kuhl said.

“But here it doesn’t matter anymore and we all work toward a goal,” she continued. “It helps a lot because a lot of time the eight graders are better at leading the group, and then sixth graders have a lot of good ideas.”

Recently, Toomey learned that his students had organized their own meeting apart from the usual schedule to discuss their next initiative.

“That’s them really taking ownership of this position,” he said. “It’s not just a title to them, it is something that they feel is a responsibility. They feel it is a privilege and an opportunity to really make change in the best way that they possibly can.”

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