Ninth Grade Community Service Day

On Wednesday, September 16, our ninth graders kicked off their Community Service Day with a visit to the Lower Campus. Beginning with a "philanthropy" assembly in the Sky Room, Mrs. Alison Kallman, the Lower Campus Community Service Coordinator, talked about the meaning of philanthropy. Then some of the ninth graders talked about ways they had served their community. The ninth graders then moved on to help students in Grades 1 through 4 write letters to members of the U.S. military serving our country overseas.

Working through an organization called Operation Gratitude, it was a meaningful way for our students to show appreciation and support to the men and women who protect our country. The ninth graders worked with the younger students to craft “thank you” letters that often began with “Dear Hero” and were colorfully decorated with hearts, flags, and flowers.

The ninth graders lent a hand with spelling and encouraged artwork. It was a wonderful opportunity for the upperclassmen to share a little bit about themselves and to answer questions – and the curious Lower Campus students had plenty of questions for the ninth graders:

“How did you get here?”
“Who was your teacher for JPK?”
“How do you spell ‘stitches’?”

After the ninth graders finished at the Lower Campus, they traveled to the A-Home in Chappaqua and helped with the following jobs: weeding (lots of it!), spreading of mulch, loading wood from a downed tree into a truck, and removing ivy growing up the side of the house. Following the work at A-Home, they traveled to the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester. Barbara Cutri, Director of Operations at the Club, gave the ninth graders a tour of the various places: classrooms, pool, gyms, and outdoor facilities. Following the tour, the ninth graders were divided into four groups and helped out in various areas. One group played soccer outside with a group of younger children. Another group played games with even younger kids in the gym. The final two groups offered homework help to kids in the classrooms.

It was a great day for everyone!

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Rippowam Cisqua School
439 Cantitoe Street
Bedford, NY 10506
phone: (914) 244-1250

Rippowam Cisqua School is a PreK-Grade 9 independent day school in Westchester County, New York. RCS offers challenging academics built on innovation, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, wellness, leadership, service learning, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.