Week 5: Day of Service

February 2, 2018

One of my favorite days of the year at Lakehill is our Upper School Day of Service. I started this event a few years after I started working at Lakehill, and this year we celebrated our seventh annual event on February 2.

While our eighth graders were busy learning more about high school during Freshman Visit Day, our Upper School students headed out to a variety of locations to lend a helping hand in their community. Each grade volunteered with a different organization. This year, our students and faculty logged nearly 500 hours of service before returning to campus.

For our Day of Service, I look to partner with organizations that can accommodate, and actively engage, groups of 30 or more students. I was thrilled with our service partners this year. I think the comments from the students shed light on what a special day this is for all of us.

The freshman class worked with Hope Supply Co., sorting and packing hundreds of containers of formula and thousands of diapers, as well as school supplies, for homeless children, while sophomores visited and played Bingo with senior citizens at The Brady Center. “You don’t think about how important an eraser or a pencil sharpener could be, until you realize so many children don’t have any,” said Kathryn Mahan, Freshman Class President, who enjoyed packing backpacks at Hope Supply Co. Gaige McKnight enjoyed playing Bingo and visiting with senior citizens at the Brady Center. “I met a woman who spoke limited English and, with the help of Google Translate, was able to share a conversation with her.”

Juniors sorted onions at the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), packing three pallets with more than 1,748 pounds of food, enough for 1,457 meals, for hungry North Texas families. “I am full of gratitude and thankful to have the opportunity to help people in need,” said Julia Bartholow.

Seniors joined forces with Reading Partners, to provide tutoring to students in two under-served elementary schools in DISD. “Volunteering with Reading Partners was such a rewarding experience,” said senior Toni Stark-Perez. “The children were shy, at first, but it was inspiring to see them gain confidence and start reading along.”

I am already looking forward to next year’s Day of Service, and to volunteering with these amazing organizations again soon.