Students take pride in making school grounds shine By cindy tietjen Staff Writer FARRAH MAFFAI Freshman Thomas Crennan delivers a beverage bottle into a garbage bag held by junior Nick Lawlor during a cleanup of the Jackson Memorial High School campus on April 29. JACKSON — Picking up bottles, cans and cigarette butts might not sound like a fun way to spend an afternoon, but students at Jackson Memorial High School proved otherwise. It could have been the idea that they were doing something nice for their school. It could have been that there was free pizza waiting for them after the hard work. Either way, the students took on the task of cleaning the grounds head on and with a great attitude. "We want our school to look good and this helps," said student Patty Shannon, who was assisting in the cleanup with her fellow Air Force Junior ROTC members. "It feels good to be able to do this." While the trash and debris that accumulated on the campus may not have been visible at first glance, a closer look by the students and faculty members revealed bottles, cans and food wrappers that needed to be removed from brush and other areas. In addition to these items, students found a grill cover, a blanket and a booster seat. According to Allison Erwin, communications specialist for the Jackson school district, the most interesting item of the day was a bicycle found in a wooded area by sophomore Joe Ferro. The cleanup is part of a curriculum designed by English teachers Heather Weinstein and Michelle Moore, who received a grant for an environmental project through the Coalition of Service Learning. "The students were really involved in this project," said Weinstein. "They researched environmental issues, wrote persuasive essays, gave speeches on environmental issues and wrote poetry." The cleanup was originally scheduled to coincide with Earth Day (April 22), but was postponed due to inclement weather. The program also involves printing a booklet of selected student essays, said Weinstein. "The students will also be producing an anti-litter commercial that will run on the school’s closed-circuit television network," the teacher explained. Jackson Memorial High School Vice Principal Kevin DiEugenio said the cleanup program is rewarding for the students and for the staff members, who get to see the teens take pride in their environment while learning about the world around them. "This project is strictly voluntary, which is why it is so exciting to see 50 to 100 students sign up for this event every year," DiEugenio said. "It is evidence of kids taking ownership of their campus, of their environment." According to DiEugenio, the service learning and environmental lessons will also go beyond the campus cleanup event. Students will also take part in a beach cleanup at Island Beach State Park this month. "It is a multi-level program that keeps the students interested in the lessons all year," the vice principal said. "The students put a lot into it and get a lot out of it." Weinstein said she and Moore started the project for several reasons. "We wanted to raise environmental awareness, promote environmental respon-sibility and teach students they can make a difference by taking action," Weinstein said. "This grant allows our students to employ their research, writing and speaking skills for a ‘real-life’ meaningful experience." Student Nick Morizio said he was happy to brave the chilly April afternoon to make sure the high school campus looked its best to people who were visiting the school for meetings or events. "I want to keep it clean so we can be proud of our school," said Morizio. "We want everyone who comes here to see a clean school."