AHS students ‘Discover Voice’ during FCCLA Week

Published 7:30 am Wednesday, February 23, 2022

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In honor of Career and Technical Education Month and Black History Month, Andalusia High School’s chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) held their annual FCCLA Week last week, February 14-18.

FCCLA members delivered Project Linus blankets to the Cancer Center and Comfort Care Hospice.

FCCLA is the career and technical student organization for Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) formerly known as Home Economics. Jana Clark is the AHS FACS teacher and sponsor of FCCLA.

Every year, the FCCLA officers either use the National FCCLA theme for the week or create their own. The theme the officers chose for this year was “Discover Your Voice.” This was not only the theme for FCCLA Week, but it has been the club’s theme for the entire school year. Whether it is delivering Full Tummy bags for local school children, volunteering at St. Mary’s Red Beans and Rice Ministry, or hoping for a cure for Breast Cancer Awareness, AHS FCCLA hopes to help someone discover their voice through their volunteer efforts.

The FCCLA officers and their sponsor are ready for FCCLA Week. Left to right: Ashlyn Kilpatrick, Annabelle Carnley, Anna Christine McKinney, Amaris Resto, Jiyoon Kim, Clay Herrington, Cindy Williams, Nyla Crittenden, Montana Carnley, and sponsor, Jana Clark.

The themes for each day of FCCLA Week were as follows:

Monday, February 14

The theme for this day was “Love Discovering Your Voice.” In honor of Black History Month, FCCLA encouraged students to look to inspirational leaders of both past and present such as Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington, who used/uses their voice and actions for good. In the hallways, FCCLA displayed quotes from these leaders as well as others such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln, who used their voice to be the change they wanted to see in the world. 1st Block teachers read an inspirational article to their class and passed out conversation hearts or lip pops to each student as a reminder to “Discover Your Voice in 2022.”

Tuesday, February 15

This day’s theme for FCCLA Week is “Confidence is the most powerful thing you can wear.”

FCCLA Officers wore necklaces that the student body had the opportunity to “steal” if they failed to state “Discover Your Voice” after everything they said. These necklaces had quotes about confidence and ways to discover your voice on the back of them that the officers read during each class. If a student “stole” the necklace, they had to continue the game and say “Discover Your Voice” after everything they said. If a student had a necklace at the end of the day they won a prize.

FCCLA officers created necklaces that the student body had the opportunity to “steal” in order to spread their week’s theme of “Discover Your Voice.”

Wednesday, February 16

This day’s theme for FCCLA Week was “Our Members = Our Voice”. FCCLA held Member Appreciation Day during break where the members received a Valentine’s cupcake or cookie of their choice. Despite being the year of a new strain of COVID, FCCLA has had a record-breaking year.

Thursday, February 17

This day’s theme for FCCLA Week was “Discover Your Voice by Helping Your School and Community. FCCLA members stayed after school for a campus clean-up and delivered Project Linus blankets to the Cancer Center and Comfort Care Hospice.

FCCLA Officer Montana Carnley poses with her artistic creation for the teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day.

Friday, February 18

For the last day of FCCLA week, the theme was “Thank Those Who Have Impacted Your Voice” or Teacher Appreciation Day! FCCLA provided a grab-and-go breakfast for teachers during extended break. FCCLA members also wrote each faculty and staff member a thank you card thanking them for helping them discover their voice.