A sweater-clad army of McGillis School students, wielding rakes and plastic garbage bags, spread out into the neighborhood surrounding the "culturally Jewish" Salt Lake City school last week to chip in at the annual Fall Leaf Haul.
Working in teams, students, grades 1-8, stuffed crunchy autumn leaves into garbage bags for two hours, ridding a stretch of 1300 East and many nearby yards of fallen leaves.
The Fall Leaf Haul supports the school's philosophy of the importance of repairing the earth and being an active part of a neighborhood through serving others.
The event is also one of the private school's ways it gives back to the locals who were instrumental in bringing The McGillis School to the community seven years ago.
"We wouldn't be here without the neighborhood," said middle school director Sallie Warmath.
After being housed at the Jewish Community Center from 1991-2002, The McGillis School was growing and in need of a new home. It attempted to purchase the old Douglas School building, 668 S. 1300 East, in hopes of a 2003 move-in.
There were other bidders trying to buy the property from Salt Lake City School District. One plan had the place being leveled and transformed into a parking structure.
But locals didn't want a spot for University of Utah commuters to park their cars. They wanted a school, and they made their voices heard.
It was because of the neighbors' support that The McGillis School, a secular school with ties to the Jewish community, was able to buy the campus. For the past seven years, it's been a community staple.
"It's just being a good neighbor," Warmath said of giving back through the Fall Leaf Hall and Spring Spruce-up, another tradition. "The neighborhood did a lot for us."
Having The McGillis School nearby hasn't been completely headache-free for neighbors. The school is in the midst of building a 54,000-square-foot addition, which has caused all the usual construction-related inconveniences.
"It's kind of hard on neighbors," said teacher Josh Goldberg. "This shows neighbors and also the kids that this kind of work is very important."
Trucks come and go, there's more dust and noise than usual, and an enormous crane looms over the property.
Which is even more of a reason to help out, Warmath said.
A tight-knit community, there's a good deal of give-and-take in the area known as the Douglas neighborhood.
Because of the construction, The McGillis School's gym is currently unusable.
No problem: a nearby LDS Church building offers its gym or "cultural hall" for physical education classes to use.
The supportive community environment has taught students about service and helping each other out.
"I've been here from first to seventh grade and we've been doing this for a long time; it's pretty fun," said 12-year-old Katy Burk of the Fall Leaf Hall as she took a short breather from gathering leaves. "We get to go out and help the community."
Says Jori Harris, a McGillis mother and employee, "[Fall Leaf Haul] is one of my favorite days of the year. [The McGillis School] is all about academics, but this is just as important. This is a big piece. ... I love [this school], and this is why I love it."
To offer a nurturing school community that empowers children to raise questions in order to build knowledge, understanding, and life-long enthusiasm for learning;
To develop individual and social responsibility by integrating community service into the students' learning environment;
To embrace the universality of Jewish values, including repairing the world and giving to others, so that children of all backgrounds can learn to work together and contribute to society;
To help students achieve their full potential by encouraging their pursuit of both their individuality and their appreciation of diversity.
Source » http://www.mcgillisschool.org/
