Hugo Lopez

MENTONE —  Fifth graders at Mentone Elementary School are taking a hands-on approach when it comes to giving back to their community.

Friday, Nov. 3, was the school’s second annual “Be a Good Neighbor Day.” It was started last year as a way for the school to increase community involvement. Nearly 80 students went to several homes throughout Mentone to help rake leaves for elderly residents, or for people who needed some extra assistance with household chores.

“As a principal of an elementary school, you want to provide kids with a lot of wholesome experiences as they go from kindergarten to fifth grade. This is one of those times that will be a good memory for them,” said Principal Randy Dahms.

The kids were split into several groups. Half of the groups went around to different homes on a bus provided by the corporation, while the other half worked at homes within walking distance around the school.

Dahms worked with fifth grade teachers last year to help organize the community service day. A simple project such as raking leaves is easy for elementary-aged kids to handle, he says.

“I’m hopeful we can expand this to more grade levels working on different service projects in the future,” said Dahms.