To show students how a community takes care of its own, Hawthorne Elementary staff organized its first school-wide service project on Saturday.
Hawthorne staff, more than 15 families, as well as students and staff from Westerville North High School, cleared trash from three neighborhoods where a majority of Hawthorne students reside.
“We’re trying to teach our kids about service,” Principal Ernest Clinkscale said. “It’s not about doing stuff for rewards. It’s about doing stuff for our community because we’re part of the community.”
The WNHS volunteers are part of the Big Warriors, Little Warriors program, where high school students have been paired with students at Hawthorne, Mark Twain and Wilder elementaries to build a community across grade levels and buildings. The program started last spring.