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In some ways, it was a bit of a test for the students, a project to see how far they’ve come. The students in Diann Tharpe’s Life Skills class at Randolph-Henry High had a plan, one they put together last week with very little help.

They invited family, school administrators, members of the Class of 1968 and some other guests to a brunch. And they did more than just offer invites. They put together the whole thing themselves, in what you might say was a bit of an early Thanksgiving. 

“In preparation, students embarked on a field trip to shop for ingredients, prepared homemade dishes by following recipes, decorated the cafeteria, and served the meal with care,” said Randolph-Henry High Principal Erin Davis. 

And on Thursday, Nov. 21, they got to work. All of the invitees showed up and were served by the Life Skills class members. Much like the ‘Bowtie Boys’ project at Bacon District that we reported on earlier this year, the Life Skills class is designed to help students grow and develop outside of the classroom. They can learn how to work together as a team, fix food in the kitchen, fix equipment, prepare for and present events. And this time, the ‘early Thanksgiving’ was met with applause from staff and family members alike. 

Taking a tour of the ‘Life Skills Center’

After the meal was over, guests got a tour of the newest part of Randolph-Henry, the Life Skills Center. This is a place where students will be taught things like how to set a table, how to make a bed, the right way to do laundry, as well as cooking and cleaning. A lot of these skills may sound just like common sense, but it’s something students often end up without. 

“This hands-on space provides students with invaluable real-world preparation for life beyond high school,” Davis said. “We are especially thankful to our Class of 1968 for their generous support, not only for donating much of the furniture for this space but also for the many impactful projects they fund for RHHS. Their contributions make a lasting difference in the lives of our students.” 

More than that, projects like this in Charlotte County are gaining attention not just in the region, but across the state. We’ve mentioned before how Charlotte County Public Schools excelled in Standards of Learning test scores. With everything added together, the district ranks 21 out of the 131 school districts in Virginia. 

When it comes to pass rates on the state Standard of Learning (SOL) tests, Charlotte County overall improved this year from 78% of students to 84.4% passing. That puts the county first in Region 8 and 31st statewide. 

Charlotte has a record to maintain at this point. The district has been fully accredited without conditions since 2019, excelling in the classroom and beating multiple state standards. Even the graduation rates, it’s worth pointing out, are rising. In 2023, 82.7% of students graduated on time. This time, that number climbed to 89.9%.