The traditional Pre-test De-stress Day at Jordan-Elbridge High School added a community service element May 28, putting J-E students out on the streets Jordan and Elbridge to spruce up the villages while taking a break from test preparation.
Seniors shared lacrosse and volleyball skills, a sing-along and friendly games of kickball and tag with students at Elbridge Elementary. A play written, composed and directed by high school students was staged by elementary students, who were rewarded with customized T-shirts created by J-E seniors.
But beyond the schools buildings, students were hard at work volunteering for the villages. Freshman scraped fire hydrants to prepare them for a fresh coat of paint, and weede and mulched the library, fire house and trooper barracks in Elbridge.
In Jordan, flowerbeds were weeded and new plants installed at Jordan Bramley Library and along the Memorial Day parade route.
Elbridge Mayor Hank Doerr and Jordan Mayor Dick Platten assisted the students with flowerbed projects; materials were donated by Anthony DeMarco and Sons of Elbridge.
Back at the high school, sophomores helped teachers pack their classrooms and ready for upcoming building renovations while juniors received college preparation information.
In the afternoon, all classes enjoyed a picnic lunch and competed in various activities. The day culminated with English teacher Sue Osier’s fulfillment of her “Kiss the Cow” obligation.
Osier received the most votes in the Class of 2012 fundraiser, and was rewarded for “winning” the contest by kissing a cow, brought in courtesy of Hourigan Dairy Farm.
Runner-up Bill Schlegel, social studies teacher, smooched a sheep on loan from Baner Family Farm.
