On Monday, November 7, 2022, a Dedication was held for the completed Marge Jarvis Recording Studio located in the Media Center of St. Helena Elementary School. 

The Recording Studio renovation was funded through donations to Adopt-A-School in memory of Marge Jarvis, founder of Adopt-A-School.  Marge passed away in August 2021. 

The Dedication was attended by three very special guests:  Herb Jarvis, Marge’s husband; and Susan Carroll and Lori Hunt, Marge’s daughters.  Also in attendance were school administrators, current and former teachers, and Adopt-A-School Board members and spouses. 

The transformation of the Recording Studio from a room with a desk, microphone and camera into a state-of-the-art facility was a year long project that was made possible through the support of Dr. Mack, Principal, and Mrs. Cheilon Preston, Media Specialist.  The new facility includes a modern glass-top desk, desk chair, two guest chairs, and a bright geometric design area rug in the school colors.  Newly purchased equipment includes two camcorders, tripods, desk microphone, two wireless microphones, field monitor, windscreen, switcher, video lights, On Air sign, a portable cart/podium, and soundproofing.

The students, under the direction of Mrs. Preston, record a Daily News Show every afternoon that is broadcast to the homerooms the following morning.  The news show has on-site weather reports from outdoors, announcements of activities, interviews, and more.  There are many opportunities for students to be involved in the production as an announcer, camera operator, lighting technician, and script writer.  The assignments are made from Job Applications submitted by the students.  There is ample opportunity for many learning experiences as the students practice and develop the skills required to produce a successful show.  The Recording Studio is being used for other assignments and activities as well. 

A plaque on the wall outside of the studio commemorates Marge’s contributions to St. Helena Elementary School through the founding of Adopt-A-School. 

SHES has had a Leader in Me program for over five years. That program stresses teaching and encouraging leadership principles and learning to incorporate the 7 Habits in daily life. The 7 Habits are:

• Be proactive
• Begin with the end in mind
• Put first things first
• Think win-win
• See first to understand, then to be understood
• Synergize
• Sharpen the saw

Under the leadership of Dr. Tara Mack, Principal, SHES administration, staff, and students have worked hard to learn and live the 7 Habits. There are signs, bulletin board displays, and activities that are visible throughout the school. Once a school has been a Leader in Me school for three to five years, it is eligible for consideration to be a Lighthouse Certified school. This is a major achievement for SHES, and they held a school-wide celebration to recognize it.

The program is described by its creators at Franklin Covey as follows: “Lighthouse Certification comes as a result of implementing Leader in Me with fidelity. Schools use a Lighthouse Rubric to measure outcomes in three areas: teaching leadership principles, creating a leadership culture, and aligning academic systems. Schools also measure their success as it relates to their unique school.”

Adopt-A-School presented SHES with a custom-made lighthouse to display at the school as a symbol of the outstanding achievement of being a Lighthouse Certified school.