Serving Little First Graders

At Springville Junior High, students are learning how to serve by interacting with first graders. Mrs. Diane Bird’s service learning class visits the first graders at Brookside Elementary every Monday during the service learning class period. This helps the class learn how to serve kids younger than themselves.

The students who signed up for service learning had the obvious intention of learning how to serve.  Mrs. Bird said, “Service is about other people and not about yourself.”According to Mrs. Bird, from serving a handful of energetic first graders, her students learn patience, cooperation, and how to be in charge. Working with first graders takes lots of discipline. One to two students get partnered up with a single first grader.

Seth Daybell, ninth-grade service learning student, said, “I didn’t have big people to come visit in first grade.” He now wishes that there would’ve been older kids too. Seth and his classmates are glad that they have the chance to hang out with first graders and do fun activities with them. 

The students do several activities to interact and serve the first graders. They’ve read and played different games and activities. They’ve played word games to help the 1st graders spell.  Mrs. Bird’s class has played games that teach the little kids different skills and learn teamwork; like by playing basketball.  Service Learning also taught the first graders how to dance. Kristen Rasmussen, eight-grade student in service learning, said, “My favorite activity was when we danced and sang songs.” The first graders love it when service learning stops in for a visit.