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player ready...As the school year nears its end, students from La Grange Highlands Middle School got the chance to say ‘thank you’ to their community and show how much they care. They did it through their actions, rather than just words.
About 300 students participated Friday in a schoolwide Community Service Day.
The students completed a variety of tasks including sorting books for distribution to students in need, spreading mulch in a nearby park, picking up litter and cleaning desks in the school. They completed their work at local entities including Denning Park and The LeaderShop, a local nonprofit that provides a range of program for young people such as mentoring and leadership to performance groups, outreach/volunteer services and special community-based events.
Melissa Luetkehans, a social worker at the school, said this is the sixth year the school held a service day as a way to teach students about the power of giving back.
“It’s a way to say thanks for all the opportunities we have,” she said.
Kaylee McNair, 12, of La Grange, spent the morning organizing books by grade level, putting them in boxes, and loading them on to a truck. She also picked up litter.
The books are being donated to Big Rig Books, a nonprofit that promotes literacy and recreational reading beyond the classroom by encouraging reading and providing books for children in underserved communities and underperforming schools.
Kaylee said the work helped her think about others who might not have as much as she and her classmates.
“It was interesting to see how much we take books for granted and the supplies we have,” she said.
Luetkehans said the service day teaches students lessons they can carry with them through their lives.
“They learn that volunteering and service work can be fun,” she said. “They also learn that even at 13 they can make a difference.”
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