CLARKTON — When the Bladen Journal put out a call to organizations to come up with a project to help the community as part of the annual, nationwide Make A Difference Day, the students and teachers at Clarkton School of Discovery weren’t interested.

Not in doing one project, anyway.

“We wanted to participate in Make A Difference Day,” said Sadie Perry, a teacher at CSD and the project leader, “but we wanted to help as many people as possible.”

With that in mind, the students and teachers in seven different classes — as well as a guidance counselor and all of the school’s seventh-period classes — put together a plan that encompassed nine different projects, some of which overlapped.

“It was important to select projects that allowed our students to complete hands-on items, because we also wanted this to be a learning experience for our students,” Perry said. “Also, we wanted them to experience the feeling one gets from giving with one’s heart and hands.”

That thinking gave the school’s Make A Difference Day effort a single theme: Hearts to Hands.

Since school was closed on Saturday, all of the projects were completed on Friday.

Those projects included:

— Areda Rogers’ “Needle It” 18-member, math skill class crocheted pink and blue baby hats for the Bladen County Health Department’s “Baby Love” program.

— Theresa Wuebbel’s 20-student calligraphy class made calligraphy posters for nursing-home residents to hang in their rooms.

— Stacey Fowler’s 19-student “Babysitter” childcare skills class made storybooks for Booker T. Washington School kindergarten students.

— Perry’s 18-student “Quest” character development-study skills-etc. class wrote and decorated cards to go in treat bags for nursing-home residents.

— Teresa Wiles’ 23-student computer III class typed stories to go into the Booker T. Washington School students’ books.

— Jill Powell’s 18-student “Imagineering” writing skills class created posters to encourage participation in the Hearts to Hands projects.

— Phyllis Cooper’s classes (60 students) wrote letters and collected toiletry products and snacks to send to a local parent serving in Iraq.

— The school’s Beta Club collected teddy bears for children removed from their homes and put into foster care, or to be included in Christmas baskets; also they collected new and used books for the Bladen Journal’s book giveaway project, as well as school supplies for the Bladen County Schools Foundation.

— The seventh-period classes all collected toiletry products and other items for nursing-home residents.

Perry said each of the projects were a tremendous success.

“I’m really glad we did this,” she said. “I think we reached a lot of people in the community.

“But I can take very little credit for this,” she added. “I just saw the story in the Bladen Journal and suggested we should do something — but the classroom teachers and students did most of the work.”

One project received quick accolades from its benefactor.

“The mother we shipped a package to in Iraq has already e-mailed us,” Perry said. “The students were pretty happy to see e-mail.”

In the e-mail, 1st Lt. Heather McGhee wrote: “Just have to tell you so you can let the class know, the care package and letters are awesome! It came ... and created a giant firestorm of excitement. The medics will be writing back to their pen pals ... Again, thank you so much for what you are doing and for adopting our unit. We love you guys!”

Perry, who will be retiring after this school year, said she hopes Clarkton SChool of Discovery will tackle Make A Difference Day projects again next fall.