All School Work Day

Day 202

Grandpa arrived last night.  After a good night's rest, we immediately put him to work.   


Sweating in the Midwestern sun, he’s a good sport at the all-school work day.  The boys’ classes overlap so we jump in and help out with each of the grades. 

Montgomery Elementary has three rules: Respect Yourself.  Respect Others.  Respect Your Environment.  Hundreds of grade school worker bees buzz around carrying shovels and pulling weeds.  They’re learning this last rule by living it.  It’s a great lesson.    

F’s first grade class marches single file like little ants heading to a picnic. Instead of potato salad and sandwiches, their treat is an island so full of weeds that it resembles grass.  Spiky, weedy grass.  

Grandpa looses the soil to break up the roots and the kids happily grab at the leaves, each trying to out do each other with fistfuls of weeds. 

“Look at this!” one boy yells, waving a four-inch root. 

“Eww!” a gaggle of girls respond before bursting into a cloud of giggles. 

It’s tough work.  We stop for a water break but other than that, it’s non-stop weed pulling.  No one complains until they’re told their time in the garden is over. 

The third graders arrive and leaders direct them towards a set of brooms.  The group sweeps the sidewalks clean. 

“We saved the best job for last!” says Mr. M. who’s been co-leading the days’ efforts when he sees A.’s class.

Kindergarteners pair off. The teams of two struggle under the weight of the watering can.    

Water splashes out and creates patterns on the ground. 

“That one looks like a butterfly,” one says. 

“This one looks like we spilled water,” A. answers.