students working at cafeteria tables

Plymouth High School students create cards, make hygiene kits, and assemble lunches during the first Community Connection Day on April 28 in the school cafeteria.

PHS hosts 1st Community Connection Day

Posted May 15, 2023

About 60 Plymouth High School students spent the morning of a recent no-school day assembling hygiene kits, doing yardwork, making cards for veterans, and engaging in other helpful activities.

PHS launched a community service graduation requirement, known as Panther Community Connection, earlier this year. Beginning with the Class of 2026, students must complete at total of 25 hours of community service while in high school.

To help students meet that requirement, PHS Spanish teacher Laura Koebel organized the school’s first Community Connection Day on April 28, a no-school day that coincided with Global Youth Service Day.

Dozens of participants gathered in the PHS cafeteria, where they assembled kits for the homeless in our community. The kits included hygiene products, essential oil rollerballs and sugar scrubs, uplifting messages, and totes with the saying “Every day is a new beginning.”

PHS student Olivia Monkoski applied for a $500 Hershey Heartwarming Grant to help pay for the hygiene supplies; additional items were donated by Chiro-Health, Tietz’ Piggly Wiggly, and Walmart.

Students at PHS also assembled meals for the Salvation Army, made 50 cards for veterans, and created display boards for Hospice. Another group of students did yardwork at Songbird Pond and Generations.

The Plymouth School District has a long tradition of community engagement, and this effort resonates with district goals of having all students leave high school as well-rounded, engaged, contributing members of society who work toward making positive changes in their community.

To assist students in meeting the service requirement, PHS has created a Panther Community Connection database of local volunteer opportunities. Any organization seeking to be added to the database can contact Mrs. Koebel at lkoebel@plymouth.k12.wi.us. Students should check the database regularly, because it is updated frequently.

Learn more:
• View the Panther Community Connection volunteer opportunities database.
• Explore the Community Engagement section of our interactive, award-winning District Report Card to learn more about how our student population is active in our community.


2 students raking

Plymouth High School students do yard work at Songbird Pond. Photo courtesy of Sarah Hall of The Plymouth review