By Janice Madden

On March 11, 2011, the students and staff of Katherine Anne Porter Charter High School in Wimberley, Texas, embarked on our first Day of Service.  This activity will become a part of the students experience each year  and honors the memory of  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

With near-perfect attendance, a total of over 200 people scattered across  the village of Wimberley working on everything from park trail clean-up, to landscaping at the public library, to moving mulch for a community garden at Jacobs Well Natural Area.  And this group was easy to spot as they were all dressed in matching Day of Service t-shirts and carrying old-fashioned picket signs featuring a photograph of Dr. King.

Students participated in a total of 12 different projects, and a 13th group was sent out as photographers and film crew. The weather was perfect and  the students had never seemed happier. Student Miranda Todd was quoted as saying, I felt a sense of accomplishment and was very proud to be attending Katherine Anne Porter School. Other students comments  included Indica Smiths observation, Making 100 meals in just two hours  for the Food Bank to me was amazing.

Senior Erik Pettit took a more love-of-nature approach in his reflection writing where he states, While picking up trash we found the skeleton of a catfish, who we named Gus. Then a student spotted a Horny Toad and our instructor informed us that we were very lucky to have seen such a  rare creature.

The event went off with only a glitch here and there that was easily  solved, and not without a needed sense of humor. Perhaps what sums up  the day best is writing done by junior Brenna Ross. It was absolutely  beautiful seeing everyone working together, It was not only our group  that was making so much effort, but all the groups working together were becoming more of a family than I have seen in years. The whole event  was almost magical. We love our school and our community and work days like this are just what our students need to remember how important our surroundings are and how blessed we are as a family at KAPS.