ORRHS has an active student body involved in numerous extracurricular activities, including the growing amount of staff and student run clubs. One of the returning groups this year is the high school’s Community Service Learning club, led by science teacher Heidi Graser.
“Last Thursday, we had a meet and greet after school to try and get new members interested in the club,” Graser said. “The older members brought in refreshments, and we all made kindness rocks that will either be placed around the community or used to start our own little garden of kindness.”
The idea brought over a dozen students to the room for the club’s second official meeting of the year.
“Involvement was a little low last year, but it looks like participation will be increasing a lot,” said member Hanil Kang.
New club member Maggie Farrell said, “Recently, I’ve helped out at a bake sale at ORR to raise money and awareness for hurricane relief down in the Caribbean, and I heard about Community Service club through some of my friends who had done it in the past.” She continued, “I decided I wanted to join when they told me about all of the different events that the club is involved with to help out our local community.”
At the meeting, members of the Community Service Learning club were informed how to self-log their volunteer hours over a twelve-month span. Depending on the amount of time they spend giving back to the community, students could qualify for National Service Awards that acknowledge their service.
Possible community service occasions were passed around at the meeting as well. The assembled group watched a video from the “Message of Hope” organization in preparation for donating volunteer hours to their cause. Students signed up to help pack Message of Hope goodie bags for children in hospitals on one of the following club dates.
“I think giving back to the community is very important,” commented senior Fiona Lant, who has been part of the club since her sophomore year. “It’s great to be a part of a group of people who all share that idea and work together to promote it.”
By Jo Caynon