Discussions may be necessary, but the class of 2017 at Skagit Adventist Academy (SAA) in Burlington, Wash., wants action. They wanted to take the classroom discussion and move it to action by giving back to the community.
With teacher Rachel Mountain, the On Your Own class explores personal finance and additional activities that may be expected of an adult throughout life. The cooking class provides instruction to follow recipes and make nutritious meals. As part of the baking instruction, cinnamon rolls began to rise. Kneading of the bread included discussion about the class giving bread away.
Weeks later, as part of the Spring Service Day, the class found its opportunity. While the senior class explored San Francisco, Calif., on Segways as part of their senior trip, the juniors and freshmen began working with the local Habitat for Humanity, delivering materials to their new building site. The sophomores were baking bread … a lot of bread. All told 111 loaves were mixed, kneaded, formed, baked and delivered. The delivery provided students with the opportunity to hand a loaf of bread to 81 seniors at a local low-income housing complex. Bread was also delivered to a local kitchen that provides a daily dinner to homeless and disadvantage citizens in the community. “We all enjoy making things with our hands,” says Anthony Burger, class president. “It makes [the community service] more personal.”
The Skagit Valley Herald featured the class of 2017 and their baking project on the front page of the paper. Emmanuel Herrera, who is in the front-page photo, liked the bread project and what it represented. “We're helping a lot more people by giving them something,” Herrera says. “It says we care about them.”
Experiencing educational excellence is a strong theme among faculty and staff at SAA. Taking what has been taught in the classroom into the field is a frequent occurrence. With multiple trips and community service days during the past school year, the students at SAA have the opportunity to experience education that notably supports the classroom instruction.
“Seeing the students use their talents and effort to serve their community is very rewarding,” says Rachel Mountain. “As teachers, we may not always be able to see our students use the skills that are taught in class. I am very proud of this class and what they have accomplished.”
Matt Rowe, sophomore, understands the SAA advantage of experiencing education and what it means to serve. He wrote a note for each bread package that read, “We, the class of 2017 at Skagit Adventist Academy, are making bread and delivering them to you and to other people in this community so that you can be encouraged ... . We hope that you feel encouraged by the love of God and feel encouraged to pass God’s love to others in your life.”
The SAA class of 2017 spent their service day making bread to share in the local community.
