What began six years ago as a way for students to get out into the community and lend a hand is coming around again on Friday, May 14. MHS Day will see high school students all across Greenfield performing various tasks to help their hometown shine.
As with previous years, students’ tasks for the day will include trash pick-up around town, mulching, painting, cleaning at the cemetery, clean-up and painting at the parks, planting flowers, and clean-up in nature areas in and around Greenfield.
This year the day will also include the construction of a kayak rack at Felson Park. McClain Principal Matt Shelton said the ag department was gifted some steel from a company that had done a large demolition project, so some of that steel is being used for the Felson Park addition.
The whole high school is involved in the day of community service, and most of the teachers and staff not only provide the supervision, but join in, too.
“Everyone at McClain is excited to hold our annual MHS Day,” Shelton said. “Watching the staff, students, community members and organizations collaborate on a day that focuses on bettering our community is a great feeling.”
In previous years the tasks for the day have been decided on by an MHS Day committee, which consists of teachers. Those tasks typically come from not only the committee, but also from the village and community organizations. This year, the event organization was done a bit differently as the committee was chaired by student Abby Mustard, who has handled the communication and information gathering for everything.
On the day of the event, Shelton said they basically take attendance and then everyone scatters across Greenfield to take part in the various community service projects. Everyone returns to the school for lunch, which will be provided and served by G3 (Grow Greater Greenfield) members. After lunch, they all do something fun, the principal said. In years past it has been a student versus faculty basketball game, but this year he said it’s going to include competitions beyond basketball. It’s something students Blake Adams and Brianna Weller have led student council in organizing this year.
Should May 14 bring inclement weather, Shelton said MHS Day would be moved to May 17.
“I like to think of this as a Greenfield beautification day,” Shelton said. “This community gives so much to the school that a day like this is the least our high school can do to give back.”
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village Schools.
