Madison Crossing Elementary School
Canton, Mississippi
Principal: Debra Houghton
Advisors: Laura Grace Nash, Jennifer Agostinelli
Student Council Officers: 4
Projects
“Madison Crossing Field of Honor and Blanket Drive”
The Madison Crossing Student Council decided that, for the second year in a row, they wanted to work together
to honor the Veterans in their community. These students believe that honoring the Veterans is an important
part of serving their community as they work to show these men and women gratitude for their service. To
honor these Veterans, they decided to sell small American flags in honor of the friends and family members in
our community that have served our county. To make these sales, they created posters that were displayed
throughout the school and fliers that were given to each student. They achieved their goal by selling 213 American flags and raising over $850.00 to donate to the Mississippi State Veterans Home. The check was
presented to the staff of the Mississippi State Veterans Home during the Madison Crossing Veteran’s Day
Program. The flags that were purchased were displayed in front of the school to create a “Field of Honor”. Each
flag was labeled with the donor’s name and the name of the honored Veteran. Students, staff, and community
members were encouraged to walk through this Field of Honor! Additionally, students wanted to take this
project a step further by visiting the Veterans Home in person and spending time with Veterans. After they
created the Field of Honor, they began collecting blankets from the schools’ staff and students. When they
visited the Veteran’s Home, they facilitated games of Bingo with the residents accompanied with passing out
blankets. They also spent intentional time conversing with the residents learning more about who they were and
where they served. This fundraiser was featured in a local, Madison magazine bringing community awareness
to the students’ efforts to honor the Veterans within their community.
“Fund the Field!”
For this project, student council members worked to raise $3,000 to build a kickball field for all students to use
at Madison Crossing Elementary. During their monthly meeting in October 2024, student council members
identified the need for more recess activities for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders while reading suggestions from their
suggestion boxes placed in each classroom. Although the school has provided excellent recess equipment on all
playgrounds, much of the equipment is geared towards the lower grades of the school. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th
graders desired more recess equipment that would interest them, and they specifically wanted a kickball field.
The student council decided it was a great idea! The student council received approval from Madison Crossing’s
principal, and Student Council President Parker Wood and Sponsor Laura Grace Nash spoke with the PE
coach for recommendations on how to proceed. Coach Cross gave them information on how to order the
necessary equipment. After their research, student council members calculated that $3,000 would cover inground
permanent bases, a fence for the back field, and benches. As they were concerned that trying to raise
over $3,000 would be unrealistic, they decided to rely on community support for the actual construction of the
field including the dirt needed to make the diamond. Student council representatives began speaking to their
homeroom classes about project “Fund the Field”. The explained to their class that they would be having
fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for this project and encouraged school-wide support. Next, they
planned their first fundraiser: Wildlife Wednesday! To plan this fundraiser, they contacted Barn Hill
Preservation in Ethel, Louisiana to inquire about a program this preservation offers to public schools in the
South. Through Barn Hill’s Ambassador Program, student council members scheduled a time for this
preservation to visit our school with their animal ambassadors. For this event, any student who attended paid an
admission fee of two dollars which went directly to the student council. Student council was able to raise
$1,500! For their next fundraiser, the parents of the Student Council Vice President Trace Clark had a personal
connection to the owner of a local race. Using this connection, student council members organized a group of
parents, students, and staff to volunteer for the Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson, Mississippi. Volunteers
passed out water and Gatorade to the runners on the race day. In return for the student’s hard work, the
marathon owner made a donation of $1,500 to Madison Crossing for the kickball field. The last piece of the
project was to secure community support. The president, vice president, and sponsor contacted a local
contractor. This contractor surveyed the school grounds and advised the student council on where to place the
field. He also placed the group in contact with a local church who was willing to provide assistance in the
construction of the field and supply the dirt needed for the diamond. The field is scheduled to be completed by
May of 2025.