During 8th Grade Community Service Week, October 12-15, 8th graders completed a variety of activities connecting them with our elementary school, preschool, and daycare partners. They addressed a design thinking challenge to find new ways for kids to have fun together while following COVID-19 safety protocols; made videos for partner school students of themselves reading children's books, reciting nursery rhymes, and completing brain break activities; created 1400 encouraging cards for teachers and students; and assembled close to 500 treat bags for students.

Then, on Friday, October 16, students met up near Grafton, along the Mississippi River and Old Chain of Rocks Bridge for the annual Chouteau Island Clean-Up. Twenty-four students of all grade levels, three faculty members and two parents joined in the effort. Mr. Newman (Fine Arts) shared his experiences from last year's sabbatical, when he visited the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and brought his United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as reminders of the impact of students' work.