Cleaning up their piece of the world

By Brooks Taylor and Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News

NEW LONDON ? Among other things, Earth Day conveys the message of doing work to preserve and improve the world in which we live.

New London Middle- and High-School students were doing exactly that Friday, tidying up their corner of the world.

New London High School Principal Scott Kracht said this year was the fifth year the school has sent students out in the community to pick up trash, rake leaves, pick up sticks or do whatever it takes to help beautify the community.

It?s a way to give back to the community, Kracht said. ?Our community has always been very good to us,? he noted.

So, on Friday students went to homes or organizations around New London and cleaned up. Then it was back to the school. ?In the afternoon, when they?re done in the community, they will go back to the school and clean up around there,? Kracht said.

Middle-school students were divided into 18-member teams while high schoolers had 10-member teams, said school officials.

Freshman Nick Francis admitted to being apprehensive before going out to help with the clean-up efforts. ?I wasn?t really looking forward to it because I wasn?t sure of my assignment.?

However, once Francis became engrossed in the task at hand ? yard work, picking up sticks and chopping a few small trees ? he said the experience made him feel good.

Sophomore Chloe Heitmeier performed about the same tasks as Francis. She said she was anxiously awaiting the day ? ?because it got me out of school.?

Seriously, Heitmeier said the work gave her a good feeling, helping other people with their yard work. ?One of the persons we went to donated to the track, so I was glad to help that person.?

?Actually, I was looking forward to today,? freshman Kara Krieger said. ?I was looking forward to it because we were helping people who could not help themselves. I like to help the community in any way possible.?

Sixth-grader Lucas Barton said he walked around the community picking up trash in the park and near the baseball diamonds. ?It was nice to be outside today. I learned how to help the community and how messy some people can be by not throwing out their trash.?

Kracht said he feels the community cleanup is as important as academics. ?In a small community, you always rely on volunteers to come help out. We?re building that (sense of volunteerism) early.?

Freshman Jaxton Boyer, although on injured reserve ? according to his mother, Jessica, who is school business manager ? made sure he didn?t miss out on the work. Boyer was working at the school?s garage sale, held in conjunction with community cleanup. The garage sale included old uniforms and other New London school memorabilia donated by school staff members and others.

Boyer welcomed the work. ?It was a day to get out in the community and not do homework and be in school all day. It also teaches me how to give back to the community for what they do for us.?

Kracht said the cleanup efforts have grown in the past few years. ?There are a lot of people in the community who appreciate the kids coming out. And I think the kids enjoy it as well.?

The principal felt good, too, when the last stick was picked up. He said seeing his students take pride in their community is a satisfying feeling.