Service Learning is a form of education that extends beyond the classroom, engaging students directly with real-world community issues and encouraging the development of practical problem-solving skills.

On Friday, April 25th, every student in D123 participated in Service Learning Day, contributing to hundreds of service hours—each student logging 5 hours of service! This event united D123 students in support of our schools and local community through a variety of meaningful activities. It was a valuable opportunity for each student to make a difference, lend a helping hand, and grow through hands-on experience.

We are grateful to St. Rita, St. Laurence, Brother Rice, and Richards High School for joining us and sending students to help lead our activities. A special thanks also goes to the students from CHSD 218’s Adult Transition Program, High 5 Apparel, for designing and producing our amazing Service Learning Day shirts, proudly worn by the entire OLHMS staff!

As part of D123’s Service Learning Day, students in all of our feeder schools joined in by doing their own special service projects. Seventh grade students helped lead the way! They visited classrooms to read a story about service and talk about what it means to help others. After the story, the 7th graders stayed to guide and support the younger students as they worked on their projects.

Here’s what each grade did:

• Pre-K: Made handprint flower bouquets for lunch staff, teachers, administrators, the school resource officer, and office staff. The message said, “Thanks for taking a hand in my 1st learning experience.” Seventh graders helped trace the Pre-K students’ hands onto paper vases, and then the little ones colored and decorated them.

• Kindergarten: Made signs to cheer on the 8th graders during their graduation walks. Seventh graders helped pass out supplies and worked with the students to design the signs.

• 1st Grade: Made thank-you cards for first responders, showing their appreciation for the people who help keep us safe.

• 2nd Grade: Made cards for Jacky’s Soldiers, a project started by a veteran’s daughter who sends mail to soldiers overseas so they feel remembered and appreciated.

• 3rd Grade: Decorated puzzle pieces with kind words and pictures for patients at Hope Children’s Hospital. These were delivered with blankets made by our 6th graders and the CASE program.

• 4th Grade: Decorated paper graduation gowns for the 8th graders. The gowns were hung on lockers to celebrate the upcoming graduation.

• 5th Grade: Wrote letters to teachers to say thank you for all their hard work and support.

The day was a great chance for students to work together, learn about service, and make a difference in our schools and community!

After exploring the concept of Philanthropy, our 6th grade students had the chance to apply their learning through meaningful, hands-on experiences. Each advisory group was assigned a unique service project, providing plenty of opportunities for students to give back to the community. Some students crafted piñatas for Cosley Zoo, while others created Cans of Hope for the Ronald McDonald House, designed bookmarks for the OLHMS library, arranged paper flowers in planters for Warren Barr, and made snuffle mats for the Hinsdale Humane Society. Meanwhile, many students transformed our hallways with colorful and uplifting decorations focused on kindness.

The students who made piñatas for Cosley Zoo played an important role in supporting the zoo’s Enrichment Programs. These programs are designed to improve the quality of life for animals- both wild and domestic- by offering them choices and engaging environments. The goal is to encourage healthy behaviors, promote positive interactions among species, and reduce stress. Thanks to their creativity and effort, our students helped enhance the daily lives of the animals- one piñata at a time!

For the Cans of Hope project supporting the Ronald McDonald House, students began by selecting themes- like love, springtime, or superheroes- to decorate their cans. They added images, words, and stickers to personalize them. Inside each can, they placed heartfelt messages filled with encouragement, love, and positivity. Drawing from inspirational sources and their own words, students wrote beautiful notes meant to lift the spirits of children facing serious illnesses. These special cans will soon be delivered to kids like Dylan at Hope Children’s Hospital. Click here to listen to Dylan's inspiring story.

The 7th grade students were given the chance to engage in several volunteer tasks during Service Learning Day. Organized into five groups, each group was designated to visit one of our D123 feeder schools. Upon arrival, students partook in four rotations of activities.

The first rotation consisted of students having the opportunity to read aloud to the elementary students. The books students read aloud to our elementary students were 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World for Pre-K; The One Day House for Kindergarteners; Say Something! for 1st graders; Dixie and the Good Deeds for 2nd graders; Kids Who Are Changing the World for 3rd graders; and Heroes of the Environment for 4th graders. These novels are special because Mrs. Maggie Omiecinski applied for a grant through the Ed Foundation, and she was awarded money to purchase these books for our D123 Service Learning Day!

The next session engaged students by organizing orientation activities with 5th graders. These activities included Freeze Dance with Kindergarteners, virtual Tic-Tac-Toe, Heads Up 7Up, and Paper, Scissors, Rock with 1st and 2nd graders, as well as a Service Day word search, Heads Up 7Up, and Paper, Scissors, Rock with 3rd and 4th graders. Additionally, there was a Service Day word search, Kahoot!, and Would You Rather game with 5th graders. In the third session, students participated in cleaning the exterior of the school and park, contributing significantly to waste reduction in our community and maintaining clean environments for living and learning. The fourth and final session allowed students to unleash their creativity by reflecting and crafting inspirational chalk designs outside our feeder schools. Additionally, 5th grade students will "leave their mark" by designed a rock with their name on it that will be on display by the Bryan Memorial at OLHMS.

Furthermore, certain 7th-grade advisories went on outings to the Pollination Garden. During these excursions, students were assigned various tasks, including garbage collection, equipment cleaning, sidewalk chalk art creation, scuff mark removal from play structures, mulch spreading at the Bryan Barrett Memorial garden, and weeding around the Tree Nursery. While this was occurring, our encore classes organized gym shoe donations, benefiting Christmas without Cancer. Additionally, shoes were sent to GotSneakers, who repurposed the rubber to create playground flooring. Moreover, several encore classes and our CASE program crafted blankets for Oak Lawn Ronald McDonald House and placements for Meals on Wheels. Students also crafted cards to express gratitude to our D123 custodial staff, Oak Lawn Police, Firefighters, and EMTs.

After returning to the classroom, students engaged in reflection. They responded to questions prompting them to contemplate their activities, contributions to others, community impact, and suggestions for future Service Days. Additionally, students participated in a Service-themed Blooket game, analyzed videos to recognize acts of service, and composed letters to incoming 7th graders detailing their service experiences and expressing gratitude for the opportunities they had to serve.

To wrap up our Service Learning Day, 8th grade students had the exciting opportunity to head off campus and engage in service projects at a variety of locations. Different advisories visited places such as Cradles to Crayons, Richards and Oak Lawn High Schools, the D123 Community Garden and Senior Center, the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, the Oak Lawn Library, and the Pilgrim Faith & Evergreen Park Food Pantry.

As part of a continuing tradition, Richards and Oak Lawn High Schools partnered with us once again for this special day. Upon arrival, students were grouped and rotated through three meaningful activities led by high school students. In the first activity, they designed thoughtful cards encouraging high schoolers to make safe and smart choices on Prom Night. Next, they crafted cozy fleece blankets for young cancer patients at Advocate Children’s Hospital. The final rotation gave students the chance to "Chalk the Walk" by writing and drawing uplifting messages on the sidewalks of the school campuses.

Another memorable experience took place at Cradles to Crayons, where students worked in the Giving Factory. There, they helped sort and pack essential items- like hygiene kits, school supplies, and clothing- for children in need throughout the Chicagoland area. Their efforts directly support young people living in poverty. In addition to their volunteer work, OLHMS students also raised $850 through the Variety Show and collected pairs of socks to donate to the organization.

Those who visited Pilgrim Faith Food Pantry played an important role in supporting local families. In the weeks leading up to Service Day, OLHMS students collected more than 600 canned goods and non-perishable items. Each morning during advisory, 8th graders helped organize the donations, and the day before the event, they loaded everything onto a van for delivery. Once at the pantry, students worked in teams to inspect expiration dates, sort items into categories, and assemble bags of food to distribute to families in need.

After returning from their various service sites, students spent time reflecting on the day’s experiences. They responded to thought-provoking questions, watched and analyzed videos like The Lorax and The Sneetches to explore deeper meanings of service, and brainstormed creative ways to continue giving back in the future.

All in all, our 8th grade students found Service Learning Day to be both rewarding and inspiring. They gained a deeper understanding of the value of service and left excited to bring their own ideas to life for next year’s projects!