Seventh grade students at Upland Country Day School prepare meals for His Mission in Kennett Square as part of school-wide day of service efforts in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. Students from kindergarten through ninth grade were involved in various efforts to give back to the greater community.
EAST MARLBOROUGH — Upland Country Day School got a jump on Martin Luther King Jr. Day service with its schoolwide Annual Day of Service on Friday, January 16.
Many Upper School students were out in the community helping out with local projects, serving those in need and making a difference and giving back at places including the Kennett Food Cupboard, Tick Tock Early Learning Center, Kennett Friends Home, The Kennett Square Resale Book Shop, Oxford Senior Center, West Chester Friends Association for the Care & Protection of Children and His Mission. The students built book cases, read to toddlers, organized donations, made meals for the homeless and translated materials for community aid into Spanish.
Elementary Upland students incorporate service into their curriculum throughout the year and spent their day Friday working on their projects. PreK students made doves of peace to hang in various places on campus to remind the community of MLK’s message of peace. They kicked off the day’s service assembly with a song about peace for the entire community.
Kindergarten students made coupon books of service to give their families. Since Martin Luther King Jr. believed in being kind to others, the students practiced spreading random acts of kindness beginning with their own families. First grade students made vases, flowers, and cards for homebound clients of Meals on Wheels of Chester County. They will visit MOWCC to deliver their projects and to learn about the services that Meals on Wheels provides for our community. Second Graders made cards of appreciation for service men and in the Navy currently stationed in the Pacific. The students have been learning about our servicemen and women in class and decided to show their appreciation for MLK Day.
Third graders are supporting Global Education Network, an organization that provides books and school supplies to orphanages in Kenya, this year and will be preparing a delicious “Breakfast for Lunch” for the school community to raise funds for the cause. The fourth grade class is raising funds and awareness for Canine Partners for Life (CPL) this year. They are making and selling paracord bracelets and traveling to CPL for a tour how the dogs are prepared for a life of service. The fifth grade class made Valentine’s cards to support their service project Kiva.org. Kiva is an international microfinance lending organization that alleviates poverty by making small loans to businesses in impoverished countries. So far, Upland’s fifth graders have made more than 140 loans to small businesses around the globe.
The Upland students spent Friday serving as classmates and members of a school community. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, the students are off from class and encouraged to continue to serve the community with their families and friends.
