Hands on Charlotte Day was a huge day for our community and its schools! I saw firsthand how everyone from big corporate executives to elementary school students can collectively show the importance of the look of our schools by volunteering to help clean them up. It was mainly the latter group that surprised me the most though. Here were these cute, little, elementary school kids showing their love for their Briarwood Elementary School with each bag of weeds collected, handful of mulch spread, and tree branch pruned. Who knows if it was by prodding from their parents to get these kids out there or not, but these 15 children sure were throwing themselves into these tasks.
Admittedly, I don’t know if I would’ve been so “gung ho” sweeping my elementary school’s sidewalk at that age. I could easily imagine myself whining about missing my Saturday morning cartoons and my Fruit Loops. Maybe I’m admitting my childhood selfishness, but I couldn’t help but feel pride for these parents and their children doing such an admirable job on a beautiful Saturday morning. The students understood the thought that if they see nice and pretty surroundings every morning walking into school, then that’ll give them an extra positive boost to feel good about their schoolwork. It also gives them a sense of ownership. I hope that this one Saturday morning planted the seed for a lifetime of volunteering from these children.
Katie Sherman is a guest contributor to the Hands On Charlotte Blog.
Wow, great writing! This is the best guest blog I've ever read!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it was a great idea to get the kids involved in the beautification of their school. That should definitely instill a sense of pride and ownership.
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