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Misty Grantham and Mattie Derivaux dance during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

Misty Grantham and Emily Wallace dance during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

Matthew Grogan sings during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius students and Jacobs Ladder students work on arts and crafts during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius students and Jacobs Ladder students work on arts and crafts during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius students and Jacobs Ladder students work on arts and crafts during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

Bobby Robinson reacts to St. Aloysius students performing during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

Lexie Varner, left, takes a selfie with Robin Smith during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

St. Aloysius student and Jacobs Ladder students pose for a photo during the St. Aloysius Rotary Interact Club Christmas party for Jacob's Ladder at St. Aloysius Tuesday (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

On Tuesday, the St. Aloysius High School Rotary Interact Club held a Christmas party in the school’s library for Jacob’s Ladder students. 

The event included snacks, crafts and a performance by some to the Interact club members.

“It has been a lot of fun getting ready for this party,” Interact Club president Mattie Derivaux said, “And we were excited to have kids from Jacob’s Ladder come to our school.”

Enacted last year at SAHS, the Rotary Interact Club is sponsored by The Rotary Club of Vicksburg with adult members providing support and guidance to the high school students, SAHS faculty advisor Ginny Jarratt said.

Service Above Self

Geared for ages 12 through 18, “Members of the club have the opportunity to participate in fun and meaningful projects and are provided opportunities to use their leadership skills,” Jarratt said.

Last year, students held a coat drive and collected more than 250 coats that were donated to the Vicksburg Salvation Army, Jarratt said.

“We also collected socks for the Haven House Family Shelter,” she said.

“I have loved being in the club,” Interact Club vice president Madalyn Burke said.

“It is fun to do service projects with classmates, and this is the school’s only service club that includes students from the 7th to 12th grades,” Burke said.

The school’s club has about 70 members and is comprised of an eight-member board consisting of officers and representatives from each grade, Derivaux said.

Board members of the Interact Club have been meeting to prepare of the party for the past several weeks, Derivaux said, and once the date and plans were determined meetings with the entire club are held.

“There is a culture and an expectation at the Vicksburg Catholic Schools that students participate in service work within our community,” Jarratt said, “And Interact is one of the vehicles our students have to connect with service opportunities.”

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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