Star 94.1 and Delta Community Credit Union teamed up to search for students giving back to the community. Their search across the metro led them to Cobb’s Rocky Mount Elementary School.
From their supportive parents and safety-focused bus drivers to local first responders and custodians who keep their school squeaky clean and healthy, the Rocky Mount students are thankful for so many in their community.
That is why each grade level decided to shower a different group of community STARS with thanks and song. Their acts of gratitude struck a chord with Star 94.1 and Delta Community Credit Union, who named Rocky Mount a top-five finalist in their Give Back Giveaway Contest. As a contest winner, Rocky Mount will have an extra $1,000 to keep the school halls filled with the sounds of learning. The school plans to use the money to purchase more technology to keep the music playing. It looks like the Rocky Mount students have another reason to be thankful.
Click here to learn more about the top finalists and to watch the Rocky Mount team chat with Star 94 about how their school has been giving back to the community. 
Here are the ways Rocky Mount students shared their thanks for those in the community with music and a little bit more:
The youngest learners in Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten turned to their parents and families to express gratitude. They created “Puzzling Messages.” They wrote a note and drew a picture about helping each other and then used a die-cut to make it into puzzle pieces. To read their message, the puzzle had to be put together. They also sang and recorded the song “We Are Thankful” to let their families know how much they mean to them.
Rocky Mount first graders showed their appreciation for the first responders at Fire Station #25 for all they do to help others any time of the day or night. The students created mini “Thank You!” posters for the front lawn of Fire Station #25 on Trickum Road and sang “Thank You Station 25!” The Rocky Mount community also donated snacks for the first responders to enjoy.
Our Custodians Rock! That is what the second graders sang as they showed appreciation for the entire Rocky Mount custodial staff. The students created posters, cards and decorated the custodian’s office door. The second graders were not the only ones who wanted to share their gratitude with the Rocky Mount custodians. They purchased gift cards and snacks for the crew, who keeps the school clean and ready for students.
Rocky Mount third graders made posters and cards for the school’s dedicated bus drivers. If the “rap” the students performed for the drivers was not enough, they also could look forward to a little Monday treat throughout November.
The fourth graders looked outside their immediate school community for those to thank. With the battle against COVID-19 impacting seniors as much as students, Rocky Mount’s fourth graders decided to connect with the A G Rhodes Senior Care Facilities. They wanted the residents to share what school was like when they were kids, so they sent them ‘interview’ questions to respond to. They also wrote notes to the 90 staff members and sent them some snacks. To brighten their day, the students sang “Senior Rock” (A parody of Jailhouse Rock.)
The fifth graders turned to those working behind the scenes to help students and teachers master digital learning—the Cobb County School District Technology team. According to Rocky Mount staff, the District Technology team members are always just an email or phone call away, ready to fix any glitch or hiccup. They helped everyone stay connected during full remote learning and now stay connected, whether in the classroom or continuing learning at home. Using CTLS, the fifth graders emailed a team member to express their gratitude for helping the Rocky Mount community master digital learning.
Expanding the long-standing tradition of Rocky Mount fifth-graders serving as mentors for kindergartens, the fifth graders will now help each grade level, whether at school or virtual, to know what it means to give and help others.
Like the other grades, the fifth graders also had a song to sing because sometimes music says what words cannot. Their song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” was meant not only for the Cobb Schools staff but to let the younger students at Rocky Mount know they are there to help them too.
Beyond the Give Back Giveaway contest, Rocky Mount used their harmonized voices to say thank you to military veterans in the school’s first virtual choir performance of the year. Watch their performance below. 
