Cherry Hill Primary students focused on keeping the Washington Court House community safe through their service learning projects.
Kellie Wahl’s first grade class made dog treats that they sold at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) located on Columbus Avenue in Washington Court House. The sale raised money for equipment for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office K-9.
During a visit to Cherry Hill Primary, Deputy Jason Havens spoke about how he and K9 Dexi work together to keep the community safe. K-9 Dexi is specifically trained to find drugs, Havens said.
“Deputy Havens also demonstrated how he uses items, which we purchased for Dexi, as rewards for working hard,” Wahl said. “It was nice to be able to give something to them to show our appreciation for the work they do.”
The students were impressed by Dexi’s abilities and were very enthusiastic as Deputy Havens showed them the K9’s skills.
Students and their parents donated materials to make the dog treats that the students sold at TSC. Cherry Hill Principal Craig Maddux and literacy teacher Katherine Richards also supported the sale of the dog treats at TSC.
“By making the dog treats, the students used reading skills (reading the recipe) and math skills,” Wahl said. “They also used math skills while selling the treats. They enjoyed counting the money as it was earned and giving change back to our supporters when needed.”
With the money the first grade class earned from the dog treat sale, the students were able to buy things for Dexi, which helped the students learn the importance of community involvement. As part of the entire process, students chose the project, gathered materials, made and sold the product. The profits were then used to purchase items. Finally, the students were able to see Dexi in action when she visited the school.
“The students really enjoyed purchasing items and giving them to her when she and Deputy Havens visited us at school,” Wahl said. The hands-on project was not only fun for the class, it also taught character development and leadership skills to each student.
Mrs. Carter’s second grade class also centered their service learning project on safety as they constructed a drug awareness campaign within the Washington Court House community.
The class researched illegal drugs and the effects on the community. Washington C.H. Police Department Sgt. Matt Pfeifer visited Carter’s classroom at Cherry Hill Primary and educated the students about the importance of drug safety. The students also designed a booth for the Fayette County Health Fair, which was held at Grace Community Church April 28. Students staffed the booth and educated the public about the dangers of drugs.
Mrs. Carter’s class received the Awesomeness Award from the Fayette County Drug Coalition for the well-researched and coordinated service learning project. The students were commended and complimented by the coalition, which made the statement that Mrs. Carter’s class had the best booth at the Fayette County Health Fair.
“They were impressed with our knowledge and concerns about the drug issues in our community,” Carter said. “The community response was impressive at the health fair. This is a great concern in our community. Many people thanked the kids for doing the booth. Most of the kids had never done anything like this before. They did a great job!”
