GIVING BACK. Seniors spent the day on Tues., Oct. 16 helping out in various local places. Pictured is senior Hannah Lee reading to a class of first graders at Blue Ash Elementary School. Popular locations were younger grade schools and community organizations such as Matthew 25 Ministries. It is a rewarding experience and lasting memory for both seniors and community members.

ALL SMILES. With Blue Ash Elementary students, senior Soeun Cho smiles after helping with a first-grade class. There were about 50 seniors volunteering at Blue Ash, one of four elementaries in the Sycamore district. “I helped Mrs. [Rena] Devore’s first-grade class make their pumpkin booklet and helped them get to their lunch. This was a new experience for me and I had fun helping today. Also, I got to meet my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. [Atra] Williams, which was amazing,” Cho said.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING. For some of the 50 seniors volunteering at Blue Ash, this was the place they first learned how to read and write. Students may have had the chance to visit old teachers and see how the building has changed since they were students. “It was so enjoyable getting to go back to where I went to elementary school at. Being with the kindergarteners was so much fun and getting to play games with them was the highlight of my day,” said Jenna Ridner, 12.

READING NOOK. Seniors Sarah Guedira and Nia Jeter read a story about wolf extinction to Blue Ash Elementary School third graders. The third graders were learning about story elements and how events are linked as causes and effects. The seniors also practiced the commutative property in math with their new third grade friends. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I ended up having a lot of fun,” Guedira said.

BREAK TIME. Seniors play basketball with third-grade students from Blue Ash Elementary. At Blue Ash, students were randomly assigned to classrooms to help in any way the teachers needed. Activities ranged from decorating pumpkins to assisting in math worksheets.