Helping Hands at Dawson School

"Some kids just drove down the access road and starting mowing the field."
"What?  Kids on lawnmowers drove down the access road?"
"Yeah, they're out back cutting the grass."

Summertime at school is a completely new experience for me.  Generally it's pretty quiet, which is great for productivity and getting through a hefty to-do list, but at the same time, it is an absolute hub of activity, with the bulk of the work being done by the custodial crew as they get the school sparkly clean and refreshed for the fall.  Our head custodian, an individual who is truly part of the fabric of Dawson School, was recently diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment throughout the summer months.  I challenge you to find stronger person than he; You'd never know by talking with him or looking at him that he was battling an illness.  In addition to cancer, he has also been battling our lawn tractor, and it's been in the shop for repair for weeks.  And thus lead to one o the most heartwarming, uplifting acts of kindness I've ever witnessed.

This past Friday, some former Dawson students decided that they'd head over and take care of the grounds at Dawson.  They did, in fact, ride down the back access road on their lawnmowers and proceed to cut and trim the entirety of the school grounds.  They spent the bulk of their day working hard, and when I went out to check out what they were doing, Mark informed me that they'd decided to come take care of their former school as a way of taking one thing off the plate of our beloved custodian.

I was speechless, the staff at the school that day was in awe, and our head custodian was beside himself with gratitude.  With the help of our PTA Co-president, we discovered who these boys were and, with permission from their parents, began spreading the word about their thoughtful gesture.  All too often, teenagers get a bad rap in the media.  Those of us that work with kids on a  regular basis know that the majority of kids are kind-hearted and genuine, but those aren't the kids we see plastered all over the news.  I was thrilled when a local network contacted us to see about running a story on these boys, and the resulting news clip is beautiful:

Helping Hands

Nick, Mark, and Ken, you made Dawson School, the town of Holden, and your families very proud.  You are the salt of the earth and will be forces of good as you continue your paths through life.  I am a better person for having seen the joy your act of kindness brought to our entire community.