Over 700 Biddeford High School (BHS) students, grades 8-12, focused their May Tiger PRIDE (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Empathy) Day on meaningful engagement and community impact by spending the day working to make their community a better place. On Friday, May 17, 2024, students dedicated their school day to various community service projects, both off-site and on-site.
The day kicked off with two hours spent off-site, engaging in activities such as outdoor cleanup, assisting younger children, supporting food pantries, aiding the elderly, and indoor cleaning and organizing projects. In the afternoon, students transitioned to on-site projects at BHS, where they continued their service by participating in tasks like outdoor beautification, indoor tidying and cleaning, creating art for display, and expressing gratitude through letters and crafts.
Biddeford High School Principal Martha Jacques emphasized the importance of this community service day, stating, "Many local organizations have supported our youth, and we were excited to be able to give back to them. This effort aimed to build pride in our community, provide essential help to local businesses, create unity, and instill a sense of civic responsibility among students. It was about more than just a day off from classes; it was about actively contributing to the betterment of our community.”
As one tenth-grader at BHS expressed, "My community service experiences have been fun and impactful. This has been my favorite day of school in all of my years."
The BHS students assisted the following businesses: the Biddeford Food Pantry, Youth Full Maine, The Behen Fund, Biddeford Community Gardens, My Space Teen Center, Biddeford Parks and Recreation, Biddeford Town Works, JFK, BPS, BIS, Heart of Biddeford, MacArthur Library, Southridge Rehabilitation and Living Center, St. Andre Health Care, the YMCA, the Lincoln Hotel, and Biddeford Head Start.
“We had such a great time with the high school students,” said Holly Culloton of Biddeford Community Gardens. “They all pitched in and took on whatever we threw at them-- weed removal, hole digging for a wattle fence, watering, hauling soil and compost for two areas that will be planted with wildflower seed, and filling up fabric pots with soil for the Saco Hotel garden-- all very helpful in every way. It was an amazing day!”
Biddeford Middle School (BMS) is holding its school-wide Community Day of Service this Friday, May 24, 2024.
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PHOTO CAPTION #1 & 2: Biddeford High School students assist in the clean up of the Thomas Behen Kids Casting Camp during their Community Service Day on May 17, 2024.
PHOTO CAPTION #3: (L-R) Biddeford High School students Maddisen McDonough, Neveah Gonzalez, Pupay Vongphachanh, and Maria Lembissa help pick up trash at Rotary Park during their Community Service Day on May 17, 2024.
