At Ryle High School, where I teach, instilling a giving
spirit in our students is part of our tradition. Most of us would agree that
teaching young people to give back to the community is a laudable goal, but how
do you do that? Sometimes all it takes
is a simple idea, encouragement from adults, and allowing the students to run
with it.
Several years ago, a teacher started encouraging the
students to turn in used but still usable school supplies at the end of each
year. The supplies are sorted and given
out at the beginning of the next school year to anyone who wants to shop. It
has become a habit for students to drop off anything that they cannot use
anymore so that someone else can use it.
Some students even go through the trash cans at locker cleanout to make
sure usable items are saved! I have
heard students say that they have not bought a binder in their four years at
Ryle. This is a simple idea that has been a real service to many students and
that has taught service to many as well.
Another teacher heard that the Parish Kitchen, an
organization that serves 1600 meals per week to those in need, was in search of
homemade desserts to serve. Thus the
“Bake for the Parish Kitchen” project was born.
Each week during October one of the classes, starting with the freshmen
and ending with the seniors, baked desserts and brought them in on Friday’s to
be sent to the Parish Kitchen. According to Dan Nolan, PK director, on the last
Friday, “The van was so full that I was able to share some of the baked goods
with Welcome House and Fairhaven Rescue Mission.” Again, this was a simple idea
that helped many people.
These are just two of the many projects that go on at
Ryle. These projects help our students
realize that though no one person can do everything, each of us has the
capability to do something that will make a difference in the life of another.
So now I ask you—do you have a simple idea that can be
developed into a project to help others at your school, your workplace, or even
your home? If so, what are you waiting
for? Go do it.
Mary Jo Rechtin
Ryle Mathematics Teacher
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