Did you notice that downtown Florence looks cleaner? That Look Park has fresh mulch? That the bike path has fewer invasive plants?
You have students and faculty from JFK Middle School to thank. On May 26, 600 students and every adult from JFK invested their time in a first-ever schoolwide civic engagement and learning project funded by the Northampton Education Foundation.
Students cleaned up downtown, cooked for the Manna House soup kitchen, cleaned the grounds of the VA facility in Leeds, made pet beds and toys for Dakin, made care packages for soldiers, helped at the elementary schools and knitted hats and blankets for babies at Baystate. They built birdhouses, planted trees and gardens, pulled invasive species from Fitzgerald Lake, sewed handmade dresses for children in need, washed windows, wrote letters, weeded neighborhood gardens and performed an outdoor jazz concert in downtown Florence.
The entire school community worked together to make this exciting day of service happen. These are the essential stories from our schools that people should read about in our local paper. So if you see a JFK student or teacher, ask them about the Day of Civic Engagement and Learning, and if you notice things look a bit better, thank them for their care.
Dinah Mack
Williamsburg