FALL DAY OF SERVICE SHARES SOME OF GROTON’S TALENT AND PASSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY

Groton School’s Fall Day of Service shared some of the Circle’s special talents with residents of neighboring communities. 

The event was one in a regular series of campus-wide volunteer opportunities designed to show students how their actions can make a concrete impact in the communities outside the Circle. Students had the day off from their regular school schedule and were given the chance to choose from twenty-five organizations in towns throughout the greater Groton area, including Ayer, Acton, Leominster, Lowell, and Nashua, NH, among others. 

“Our goal was to try a different approach to community service and engagement by working with folks with a special skill set to bring to the greater surrounding communities,” said Director of Community Engagement Elizabeth Phan. 

Toward that effort, Director of Theater Laurie Sales facilitated a storytelling circle involving Groton students and senior residents at the Nashoba Assisted Living Park in Ayer, designed to help with memory and remembering. 

“This workshop was incredibly successful in bridging the gap across generations to find commonality and wisdom within each other,” Ms. Phan explained. 

Similarly, Choir Director Dan Moriarty took choir members to the Groton Senior Center for a special performance. 

“It was a true gift for both parties,” Ms. Phan said. “I would like to encourage more students and faculty to use their interests and passions for the greater good of all.” 

Other opportunities included removing invasive plant species on nearby conservation land, maintenance of parks and playgrounds, food preparation at a local soup kitchen, and assisting teachers at pre-K centers. On-campus workshops focused on winterizing the Groton School community garden, building birdhouses for neighboring wildlife, and sewing washcloths and weaving blankets to be donated to a local migrant shelter. 

“From reading some of the feedback,” said Ms. Phan, “you can see that the students truly learned about the value of giving our time and efforts to show up and help out as active community members.”