The Old Rochester Regional High School gymnasium was a lively center of activity on Tuesday, March 27, as students and staff left their classes and studies to donate blood to the American Red Cross. The Annual Blood Drive at ORR is always sponsored by the school’s National Honor Society chapter, which has a number of community service projects for the school year. It occurs every March during school hours.
Students and staff were able to register for the Annual Blood Drive during the previous week. Volunteers from the National Honor Society manned a table in the high school’s main lobby, where students and staff could pick a time slot and receive information about donating blood. The volunteers filled out notecards to be distributed during homeroom, which served as passes for students going to the gymnasium.
Students who are at least 17 years old could register, and according to Massachusetts law, students who are 16 years old could register with a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. All blood donors had to meet the weight requirement of at least 110 lbs, although many students were required by their age to meet additional weight requirements.
On the day of the Blood Drive, members of the National Honor Society volunteered in the gymnasium by signing in the blood donors, distributing snacks or sitting with donors while they recover from the loss of blood. Each donation consists of a pint of blood, although some students and staff who are especially healthy are asked to make double donations. The donation itself takes about ten minutes, and donors are required to rest afterwards for at least fifteen minutes.
Statistically, only three out of every 100 Americans donate blood. According to the American Red Cross, the most common reason a person cites for not donating blood is fear of needles. Judging by the number of students and staff who registered to donate blood at the Annual Blood Drive, the Old Rochester Regional community might be an outlier for this statistic. The ORR National Honor Society chapter made a goal of donating 80 pints of blood, but the actual total is not yet available.
In other school news, the guidance department will be hosting a College Admissions Seminar on Thursday, April 12. The seminar, which will begin at 6:30 pm in the high school’s media room, will be for parents and guardians of current sophomores and juniors. As part of the seminar, a guest speaker from the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority will address program attendees regarding the college search and application process. There will be an opportunity for parents and guardians to ask any questions that they might have.
The school calendar for the 2012-2013 school year has been released. Students, parents, and guardians may download it from the Old Rochester Regional High School website as well as download the revised 2011-2012 school year calendar. Visit www.orr.mec.edu for more information.
By Anne Smith