WILDWOOD – The Wildwood High School “All-Star Trading Cards” Program will celebrate its 20th Anniversary at an annual Potluck Dinner Jan. 15, at 6:45 p.m. in the WHS cafeteria.
According to a release, the “All-Star Trading Cards Program” is a character education and role model program that features Wildwood High School juniors and seniors on trading cards.
The program received a “Best Practices” recognition from the New Jersey Department of Education in 2003 and has been featured in the “Study Hall” segment of “The Early Show” and several national publications
During the dinner, guests will be introduced to the All-Stars and the program. Parents will receive their All-Stars’ trading cards and a pictorial display of the 2019-2020 will debut.
An “All-Star Walk Through Time” will showcase the pictorial displays from the last 20 years.
Students with grade point averages above a 2.5 are invited to apply for the program in the beginning of the school year.
Applications are rated by a selection committee, and those students selected sign a pledge and are photographed. The trading cards are distributed to elementary and middle school students at Glenwood Avenue Elementary, Widwood Middle, Crest Memorial, and Margaret Mace Schools during their respective Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance assemblies.
After the elementary/middle students earn five trading cards, they are accompanied to Domino’s Pizza by a local police officer and high school All-Star.
The Greater Wildwood Municipal Alliance provides the grant funding from G.C.A.D.A. (Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse).
The Wildwood, North Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest Police Departments provide the transportation and “chaperoning” of the students at the lunches.
Domino’s Pizza donates pizza and soda to each individual participating in a lunch.
“Without the support and sponsorship of these organizations, the trading cards program would not continue to be a success since it began in the 2000-2001 school year,” stated Betty Harshaw, director of the program. “The elementary/middle schools have enthusiastically received the program, and their continual support, along with that of the high school All-Stars and their parents, and the faculties and staffs at all of the schools, have just made the program a successful one. With all of this networking, the program accomplishes its goal – to showcase positive role models and encouraging intergenerational communication.”
