Grandson has been earning community service hours, a curriculum requirement at his school, in a variety of ways.
Imagine my surprise when I called the local food bank to ask if we could volunteer one Saturday and they asked, “Court appointed?”
“Um…er…no…you see, my grandson is in elementary school earning community service hours as part of his social studies grade and we were just wondering if…” To make a longer story shorter, let’s just say he went, he served and he earned the required hours. He enjoyed the experience and returned from it wiser and proud of his service.
We have all pitched in helping him achieve this goal each nine weeks during this school year. I must say we have gotten quite creative.
Grandpa came up with an idea to clean a couple of miles in front of our property. “Hey d-u-de, we can beautify the Texas Independence Trail that bikers, cyclists and Texans from all over will be visiting when the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush come out.”
Grandson liked the idea, especially since it included riding in the Gator to help with the cleaning up. “Can I drive it down the driveway?”
“Sure, but you know I’ll have to do the driving along the road,” Papa told him.
It was Valentine’s Day, a Saturday, and a beautiful, gorgeous day made all the more beautiful by being able to wear a t-shirt with no jacket and know he would be earning more service hours. It was while cleaning all that rubbish and litter that we saw them, one Indian Paintbrush bloom, a daisy and the bone remains of a poor departed critter.
Look what was blooming down here weeks before spring.
I just love the Texas wildflowers! Theresa frequently shares them on her blog, and my niece, who lives in Texas, mentions them.
I’m sure that Gator made the clean-up experience much more fun!
I know you are experiencing frigid temps right now. It was amazing as I read about blizzards up north, the northeast and Atlantic coast and we had such a beautiful day that February 14. I do think grandson would love to experience snow, though.
Oh, riding in a Gator is always a thrill. Kudos to your grandson, Georgette!
Please sent some of your beautiful blooms our way. 🙂
These were isolated blooms that popped up on Valentine’s Day. So funny.
What a wonderful project for your grandson. Love the early signs of spring. I am impressed that the school has community service as part of the grading. This will give him a great start in life.
When I first heard about it being implemented in Florida public schools, I too, thought it was a great idea. Now grandson is serving here in TX. It wasn’t a requirement when the girls were growing up, but it is with this generation now.
What a nice gift on Valentine’s Day.. the little blooms! A good day is always better with a Gator ride.. 😀
It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day and what they found aside from the litter was memorable. Have a wonderful weekend, Pix.
You should see my bird’s water bowl just now. I reflled it with warmish water, and the sparrows and doves are lined up to have their baths. I swear if my eyesight was better, I could see their little towels. I think they’re ready for warmer temperatures, too.
I really don’t know what I think about community service being part of a school gradiing system. I’m not opposed to the service at all — we did it too, but it was part of our activities in church groups, Camp Fire, or school groups like the Junior Librarians. On the other hand, if I was your grandson and it was required? What better ways to do it than at a food bank, or outdoors with Grandpa!
I’m truly ready for spring. It’s been so hard to get any work in over these past two months. Painting or vanishing in cold or fog just doesn’t cut it. Your paintbrush is a real sign of hope!
haha…such a funny picture you paint of your birdies lined up to take a dip.
The pendulum always swings regarding curriculum programs. For now, I’m glad we got caught in the community service swing. Several of his classmates are earning their service credit through scouting and church groups as they should. However, our individual projects have exposed grandson to all sorts of opportunities: the food bank, the Children’s Museum, the zoo, Mercer Arboretum, a suburban running marathon where he will help provide water, etc. and help us stick together doing and valuing such things as a family. It will be all too soon before he is thrown in to peer activities. Our family agrees we will do all the family time we can together.
This crazy weather has all the foliage confused about what to do but it is feet to see that lone paintbrush beat the elements! I love the service hours requirements for social studies and making it a family event is also making it special & memorable. The food bank questioning your reasons for wanting to come work must’ve shocked you, but I imagine many people go there to work off penalties. I think that experience was especially neat because it showed him a while other world & he served others instead of being served. All the highways around here seem to need beautifying – many travelers will enjoy that beautified strip! Can’t wait to come visit your home, see the trail, walk the grounds & experience a little bit of Texas history right there. Thanks for sharing!!
He is not in scouts right now and although I have nothing against scouting, I do have a problem with all the organizing of it. I think that doing what we’re doing from the family seat, the experiences will stick and be more memorable. It will be all too soon when he will be thrown into lots of peer groups of activities, and I’m so glad we have this time for “working and serving” together. I will get in touch with you regarding March weekends. Certainly, April would be a beautifully perfect time to come when so many varieties of wildflowers pop out in all their splendor.
April works well for me too!!
amazing they’re blooming so early! ellen near houston posted a bluebonnet this week, too!
These lone paintbrush and daisy blossoms bravely popped up all by their lonesome. I couldn’t help but snap their pictures, and we had to wonder what animal those bones would go to?
Community service for kids (not court appointed although that serves it’s purpose too) is a great idea. I envy you the wonderful weather you are having.
The weather on Valentine’s simply sealed the deal for me in calling this a mild winter. I know that is not the case up North, in the northeast or along the Atlantic coast from VA on up. Yes, we’ve had a lot of rain, but no ice, school closures or even a handful of snowflakes….practically “nada” in my book. Now daughter just 200 miles north of us has had snow, ice and school closures…but for us, it has been a mild winter, I think.
Consider yourself lucky. I hope your summer is uneventful too.
You do raise another point. We do have tornadoes in the late spring and during summer storms, and then there are those hurricanes that hit every other summer.
About your grandson – may his tribe increase! It’s wonderful to see the generations pitching in to beautify / improve their community.
Love the blooming “dissolve.”
I believe it was your state of FL – correct? – that started the community service movement in the school curriculum. I loved the idea when I first heard about it, and I’m so glad grandson is reaping the benefits of experiencing it here. Go TX! Talk about relevant, real and practical education, it’s a wonderful idea involving the whole family. Certainly there are the naysayers, but frankly, I don’t listen to the grousing and complaining.
Yes, Florida is my state, but I had no idea the community service movement in school curriculum began here. And, yes, so relevant and practical.
Good for him, and good for all of you! And spring on top of it, just like a cherry!
Yep, grandson does like his fruit cocktail with extra cherries.
Community service is a wonderful thing to teach children early. They grow up wanting to contribute. Oh, the beautiful signs of spring…however, I’ll bet the grandson was more thrilled about bones than flowers; at least, that was how my sons were as little boys!
Boys! Everything about this project spoke to him. Gosh, they are delightful at this age of 10-11. I want to ride this wave as long as we can.
What a great experience for your grandson. You are teaching him well, Georgette, and instilling in him values that will guide him through life and help him become a fine, upstanding man. Let’s hear it for community service!
As I mentioned in a previous post, he and I keep the car ready to hand out care packages to folks in need. We keep one bag up front and one in the back. I don’t think he will ever forget handing off two bags to a family along side of the road. As you well know, there is a lot we hope to teach our children and hope the lessons stick.
So good to see you. I’m sorry I have been scarce since December, been busy helping both daughters + working. Just popped over to your place. I see you too have been busy. Looking forward to hearing about Brazil.
What a great thing to do – instill a volunteering spirit in youngsters by asking them to do community service. I like it! I bet the highlight of the day for your grandson was driving the Gator but the highlight for your readers is seeing those little flowers. Spring, we’re SO ready for you.
It was an odd day that Valentine’s Day. Now we’re shivering in the 30’s (not the -0’s like you) but still shivering.
Our godson in New Jersey does school community service, but his dad is discouraged because there’s a major overlap with court-appt. service. One is for Natl. Honor Society and the other is to work off/pay back for vandalism and misdemeanors. The two don’t blend well.
Excellent post, Georgette. The flowers were wonderful.
I wondered the same thing, but daughter and I are committed that one or the other of us will always accompany him. There are certain services where it’s not a problem: the Children’s museum, the local arboretum, a community marathon, etc.
The two blooms were quite a surprise in picking up the litter.
I admire your grandson’s enthusiasm to help and make a positive difference. That is truly priceless nowadays. The Indian Paintbrush image got me excited. Since we discovered our version of bluebonnets field of dreams, we made it a family tradition to visit the Hill Country during the peak of the Texan wildflower blooms. I’m off Spring Break and I’m looking forward to visit some of the Texas State parks. Have a great week ahead. Best of blessings to you and your family.
Love TX parks. Enjoy spring break with your family. Be safe.
Your grandson is much like the lovely Indian Paintbrush flowers in his dedicated community service. They both stand out. They both are giving so much in their own small ways. And they both shine..:)
Thank you, Dor. He’s such a cutie enjoying what he’s doing and happy to help out. ooo–I just want to put that in a bottle and keep it forever.
I remember doing a school beautification project in elementary school. It sticks with you. Your grandson has such good examples! Good job!
So many lessons we “learned in kindergarten” and elementary school. n’est-ce pas?
He’s turning in his poster today. He had to clock 4 hours, and this was 2 of his four hours. It’s raining like crazy here, so it’s in a plastic kitchen bag to protect it.
I think it’s wonderful you do the community service as family. For one thing, you know whose values he’ll be getting. You provide a well-rounded variety, too. I’m going to have to Google a Gator to see what I’m missing!
You certainly understand that, Patti. All too soon, he will be tossed into those crazy times of middle school and high school when what their friends think is more important than family. May he be rooted in knowing who he is and who we are.