Math teacher Maria Hausman remembers visiting the home of a veteran with several other teachers to do some yard work during the Day of Caring in 2019.
“We cleaned up shrubs, raked leaves, and really just made the lawn look nice,” Hausman said.
But the event ending up meaning more, she said.
“We just had the most wonderful conversation about their whole life,” Hausman said. “I think they just wanted to talk, and it was just a great bonding, even with colleagues. We had a lot of fun joking with each other and enjoying the beautiful weather.”
During Friday’s in-service day, Baldwin-Whitehall staff members and dozens of students will complete small home repair and yard work projects for district senior citizens as the Day of Caring returns. The last Day of Caring event happened in 2019. It was canceled first by the pandemic, and then to give staff more time to do curricular work.
“We needed to dedicate more time to professional development, as the pandemic forced us to make major shifts in our instructional practices to meet new learning needs,” Janeen Peretin, assistant to the superintendent, said. “It was also important for us to respect and prioritize the mental and physical well being of our faculty and staff during an incredibly challenging time.”
For this year’s Day of Caring, Hausman is working with art teacher Toni Rogiero and culinary arts teacher Beth Fochtman as well as several other teachers.
“It’s one of the very positive things that our district does well,” Hausman said. “And no other district around us really does it.”
Supt. Dr. Randal Lutz said the Day of Caring is an important day for the district and the community.
“Along with our annual Cookie Extravaganza in December, these events are ways we strive to give back to our local community and senior citizens,” Lutz said. “Our school district finances are critically dependent on these local residents – most of whom do not have children in the schools any longer.”
Peretin is looking forward to bringing the Day of Caring back.
“I’m most excited to see our community come together again,” Peretin said. “The Day of Caring is a special opportunity to give back to our senior citizens, reconnect with one another, and show just how much the Baldwin-Whitehall community cares.”
Science teacher Lara Dorman values giving back to the community.
“The Day of Caring is important because it shows that we’re willing to help the community and help people who can’t do it themselves. Giving back to the community is important,” Dorman said.
Dorman also loves the social interaction that comes with the event.
“Participating in this gave me a chance to meet teachers I didn’t know from other schools in Baldwin-Whitehall, so it was nice to interact and bond with other teachers,” Dorman said.
Dorman participated in the Day of Caring before the pandemic and is excited about its comeback.
“I did the Day of Caring once before Covid and I loved participating, so I am very excited for Friday,” Dorman said. “We painted a garage door for one house and then went to someone else’s house and scraped paint off the ceiling and repainted it,” Dorman said.
Lutz said that these acts of kindness can make a big difference. He cited, as an example, the 87-year-old Whitehall resident whose home repair project he selected.
The woman still loves to work in her yard, he said, “but the work is getting harder. She has a walkway that is uneven and has caused her to fall a few times,” Lutz said. “This work could actually save her from future falls and maybe even save her life. So one afternoon from our staff and students really can be a life changer.”
This year’s event will function as a transition year, Peretin said, lasting two hours.
“By shortening the day, we can better accommodate schedules and allow time for previously planned faculty professional development,” Peretin said. “Our hope is that by reintroducing the event in a way that works for everyone, we can build momentum in our communities again and eventually return to a full-day Day of Caring in the future.”
The purpose of the Day of Caring remains unchanged, though.
We are “celebrating the day with a lot of positive energy,” Peretin said. “Plus, there are many familiar names among the residents requesting help, and it will be wonderful to see their faces again and reconnect.”
