While most students enjoy snacks, games, and fun with friends and parents during school parties, one Northland classroom had a much different experience this year.

Oakhill Day School’s second-grade class taught by Mrs. Laura Pearce decided that instead of celebrating the upcoming winter break with a party, they would have fun by giving back. In an activity planned and organized by classroom parents Mr. and Mrs. John Avery, the students and their special guests came together to help solve a need that they saw in their community. Together, the students tied fleece blankets for sick home or hospital-bound children and bundled and wrapped hygiene products in warm socks for the homeless.

In a season known for receiving and giving thanks, it was refreshing to see seven and eight-year-olds recognizing a community need and being excited and charged to help, especially when it meant giving up a highly anticipated classroom activity. Even young students realize that some of the most rewarding life experiences occur when they are thinking of others instead of themselves.

Oakhill encourages community service and service learning at all levels of the school. Students participate in school-wide projects that help people locally, as well as throughout the country and the world. By instilling the value of service, Oakhill hopes to create well-rounded adults committed to serving the community for a lifetime.