Many students at Leesville High School often volunteer their time to help students at Leesville Middle School.
Some students volunteer to gain service hours while others volunteer to have and gain more experience in things like work ethic, community, and service. Some other reasons why students volunteer at the middle school include reconnecting with former teachers, helping middle school students improve and grow.
Madeline Carpenter, junior, volunteers often and helps choreograph pieces for the middle school dance department, as well as the musical every year. “I volunteer at the dance program and the dance department and the theater department too; I choreograph a lot for them… I volunteer two times a week with the theater department and… once or twice a month with the dance department,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter has helped choreograph musical numbers for shows such as Finding Nemo Jr. and this year’s Legally Blonde Jr. as well as guest teaching for some of the sixth grade classes in the dance program. “I enjoy getting to see the legacy continue… and just being involved in a program that I was in,” said Carpenter.
Aidan Quinn, senior, tutors students who are currently taking one of the band classes offered at the middle school in hopes of helping them improve their skills and improve the instrument they want to learn how to play. “Usually weekly I go [to the band room], and I tutor for about an hour on the trombone,” said Quinn. “It’s nice to see them improve… and them putting in that work and me helping them to get a lot better, too,” said Quinn. Quinn helps tutor students who play the trombone and gives them lessons. “… the drive and dedication of those middle schoolers, it’s really impressive.”
Anna-Kate Simmons, sophomore, helps tutor middle school students in math along with some other high school students. “My mom is a teacher [at the middle school], so I tutor her seventh-grade math students… I tutor every Tuesday and Thursday after school,” said Simmons.
“[Tutoring] keeps me involved with the teachers [at the middle school] because I miss them, and then it’s fun to get service hours,” said Simmons. She and the other tutors usually help the students with whatever they are learning in class, but right now they are currently helping tutor the students with multi-step algebraic equations.
Lots of high school students take time out of their busy schedules between school, work, extracurricular activities, etc, to help younger students improve on things they might be struggling with or may need help with. “[Tutoring] is helpful because that knowledge will be reinforced for years to come,” said Simmons.
Meanwhile, some other students volunteer with the middle school students because they have an interest in teaching students new things. “I’ve learned that, honestly, talent fluctuates and it’s so much fun. Each year I can talk to a different group of people and know a different group of people. And they keep getting older and I see them get older and I like to see their progression,” said Carpenter.
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