MHS Spring Fling 2019
Spring Fling started off as an opportunity for students to get community service hours after volunteerism became a graduation requirement, according to Messalonskee principal Paula Callan.
But the event, now an annual part of the school calendar, also has become a much- anticipated break from the academic grind that tends to occur in the weeks leading up to final exams.
“You reach a point where you just need to decompress in order to gear up for like the last hurrah,” Callan said. “It’s just a chance to have fun.”
This year Spring Fling is slated for Wednesday, May 22 and tentatively features the following activities:
- 8:05-8:30 Yearbook Dedication
- 8:30-8:55 Student of the Month Assembly
- 8:55-9:10 Student Comedy Skit
- 9:10-9:40 Student Council Speeches
- 9:40–10:10 Laptop Cleaning, in Advisory
- 10:10-10:30 Meet with YES students
- 10:30-12:00 Community Service Activity
- 12:00-12:30 Lunch, everyone will eat at once
- 12:30-2:30 Spring Fling Activities
In the past, the community service component of Spring Fling was community-wide so that students often could be found doing volunteer work in multiple towns. Now the service is all done at Messalonskee.
“We tried to keep it on campus to help kids who might have transportation constraints,” Callan said, “and it kind of spruces up campus for graduation activities and such.”
For some seniors, making community service a part of Spring Fling fills a vital role, one that could make the difference between marching or not marching at graduation on June 6.
“There are some kids who still need 40 community service hours,” Callan said. “It’s crazy. The famous line is ‘I’ve done them. I just have to fill out the form.’ “
The morning hours of Spring Fling also include the Student of the Month assembly, laptop cleaning, a student comedy skit, Student Council speeches, and the first opportunity for students to get a taste of the YES program they selected.
But the true fun and the core part of Spring Fling occurs after lunch when students are free to roam the school to engage in a wide variety of activities. In the past, those activities have spanned a wide range, including improv, ultimate Frisbee, Gatorball, chess, and tie-dye T-shirt making.