Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
Thursday, October 24 was the annual Day of Service at the Derryfield School. Students in grades 6 through 11 participated in a wide range of projects, both on and off campus. They built bunk beds, harvested vegetables, bowled with Special Olympic athletes, cleaned a beach, and exercised rescued dogs, among other things. Louisa Burdette, Director of Research and Opportunity, explains the rationale behind the choice of service projects.
“I look for projects that can be tied to the curriculum, if possible. The beach cleanup work with Blue Ocean Society tied into the Middle School science curriculum. The programming at Camp Allen and through the Special Olympics connected 9th grade students with the writings of Judy Heumann, and the disability rights movement. Other assignments brought awareness of housing insecurity and the foster care system.”
The Freshman Class traveled to Camp Allen in Bedford, NH for a day of service and learning. Camp Allen was established in 1931, and is an overnight and day summer camp that provides opportunities for friendship, growth and fun for children and adults with developmental and/or physical and mental disabilities in an outdoor environment. After learning from Camp Allen staff about the mission of the non-profit organization, the students divided into groups to work on “winterization” projects. William Licata ‘28 noted, “It was super fulfilling to help out with raking leaves and painting–our work saved time for the camp staff.”
The Sophomore Class took over the Upper School parking lot with a large-scale bunk bed-building project, orchestrated by a flotilla of adult volunteers from Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). SHP is a non-profit dedicated to providing beds to children in need, ensuring they have safe and comfortable sleeping conditions. Utilizing lumber donated by Brad Benson ‘78, the students learned how to use woodworking tools, including saws, drills, and sanders. They also had lessons in taking exact measurements, using a level, and making true wood cuts. The task they set out to accomplish was building 20 complete bunk beds. The parking lot was a flurry of activity, with billows of sawdust covering all participants and bystanders. Daphne Stewart ‘27 observed,
“It was a really fun hands-on experience that felt even better when you knew that you were giving back to the community. I sanded down boards of wood and even though I was covered in sawdust by the end of it, I was still incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to learn new skills and help out!”
The members of the Junior Class lent their helping hands to six different organizations: Families in Transition (OutFITers thrift shop), Fueled by Kids (bags of food supplies), the NH Food Bank (kitchen and production garden), Brookside Thrift shop (welcome kits for refugees), Easterseals (fall cleanup at staffed residences) and Darbster Rescue.
Liesel Gregor ‘26 said of her experience at Darbster Rescue,
“I had the opportunity to volunteer at Darbster Doggy, a dog adoption and boarding facility in New Hampshire. While there, my peers and I were tasked with taking dogs for walks to help provide them with exercise and socialization. Since I am an avid dog lover, this experience felt more like a passion than service—witnessing the dogs’ excitement when we walked them was so rewarding. Big thanks to Derryfield for this awesome opportunity!”
Middle School students were on clean-up duty for the day. Grade 6 stayed on campus, where they first had a scavenger hunt to familiarize themselves with the Derryfield grounds, then with the help of the Buildings and Grounds crew they wielded rakes to tackle blankets of leaves. Seventh and Eighth graders traveled to Hampton Beach, where they learned about the mission of Blue Ocean Society, then dove into a beach clean-up assignment.
Derryfield has a long commitment to the community, and to the cultivation of kindness, compassion, and empathy. This work has been built into the fabric of the school from day one; and each student builds these characteristics through a myriad of volunteer opportunities.
