Dover High Seniors participate in Community Day of Service
By Kyle Valentini
May 24, 2011
255
Summary: Dover High School seniors gave back to the community by donating their time, energy and enthusiasm to the high schools first Community Day of Service. 140 seniors took part in the event that included mulching, raking, cleaning and painting at Dover City Park.
The Dover High School graduating class of 2011 spent the morning giving back to the community with a day of community service. About 140 students participated in the first ever Community Day of Service at Dover City Park on Tuesday, May 24.
Educating all students to their fullest potential to become productive and responsible citizens through the coordination of parents, teachers and community is the mission of the Dover City Schools. Assistant Principal, Jack Edwards supervised and delegated as the students worked in teams to mulch, rake, pick up debris and put a fresh coat of paint on the bocce courts.
Students covered the 130 acre park from Deis Hill on down to the ball fields to lend assistance to the park employees in getting the park in shape for a busy summer.
With all the rain weve had we are a little behind, said Matt Specht, a city park employee. We are really glad to have the kids out here today and they are doing a great job.
Principal McCrate and I had talked at length about how to make the seniors last day of school more productive and more worthwhile. In the past we had heard about some other schools who took part in a day of service, said Edwards. We believe it is an opportunity for the kids to give back to the community, a community that has given them so much. We believed a community service project fit the bill in making this day more meaningful.
The students began work at 9:30 with the smell of a charcoal grill to motivate them. Were going to serve the students lunch around 12:30, said Edwards. This is the first year we have done this with a class of seniors and so far it is going very well. Some of the students had finals this morning and are still here now to help out.
With little guidance the students took to the task at hand, shoveling mulch into wheel barrels, picking up sticks and fallen branches and using a team effort to accomplish as much as possible in the time they had to get the park looking its best for Memorial Day weekend.
Madison Hisrich and her classmates spread mulch around an 80 foot oak tree.We are happy to be here today, said Hisrich. This is so much better than school and we are helping the community.
Edwards has served as Assistant Principal for seven years. When I was a student at Dover High School we didnt have an opportunity like this, said Edwards. We talked to Scott Jerles who is the director of parks. Like most of us, he is trying to accomplish more with less so he appreciated the extra help.
Principal Karie McCrate said, This is something I see us doing again in the future. Because this is our first year trying this well see how it goes. This is a great way for seniors to participate in a community service project as a class. We want to do our part in giving back to the community. It is important for students to engage in community service.
Dover City Park serves as a year-round facility that allows residents and visitors a clean safe environment to enjoy the outdoors with a public swimming pool, bocce courts, ball diamonds, tennis courts, walking and biking trails, playground, pond and Frisbee golf course.
