Tess Patterns by Tess Wolfe, Reporter

Kids and dirt have a history of getting along.

On April 22, nearly 20 students at Lakeview Intermediate School added the components of celebrating Earth Day, helping out after school and honoring two students who died from illness in recent years.

Members of K-Kids, a program sponsored by the Kiwanis club, and Club U.S.A., a six-year-old Lakeview program, gathered outside the northeastern entrance of Lakeview at 3 p.m.

The fifth and sixth grade students had a mission to weed, rake and plant flowers in areas dedicated to the memory of former students Shane Cook and Katherine McVey.

The students I spoke with said they "just wanted to help out" -- no big deal.

"It sounded fun, and I like to help," said student Maria Teodosiu. "It's awesome."

With focus and determination, students dug in with shovels, gardening tools or just their gloved hands -- anything that would get the job done, get the weeds gone and get the flowers planted.

"It was their idea. The kids came up with it," said school counselor Susan Dietrick, who co-founded Club U.S.A. with school counselor Kathy Schmidt. "Last week, there were about 50 students here; this second week is extra. But they wanted to do it."

Like a pied piper, Dietrick whisked along carrying a flat of flowers brimming with color as students followed her.

"What color do you think we need over here?" she asked a handful of students flocked around her.

"Red!"

"Orange!"

Dietrick said she didn't have any orange flowers, but the students appeared unfazed as they picked their flowers to plant.

They were having fun, and racing the weather. Gray clouds were gathering overhead, and the afternoon sky was darkening by the minute with the possibility of rain.

Again, the students appeared unfazed.

Weed. Rake. Plant. Dig. Laugh.

When they began to pack up the gardening hoes, rakes and other scattered equipment, the same focus and determination showed on their faces as when they'd unpacked the equipment and pulled their initial clump of dirt.

Simple giving. No fanfare or pats on the back for themselves.

In the darkening afternoon, I lost my nerve and headed to my car in hopes of staying dry. As I walked away, I looked back at the club members, who were as industrious as ever, packing up and picking up.

I felt sort of guilty for leaving before they had called it quits.But, that's the difference between taking action and just thinking about it.

When the students at last would leave, I doubted they would be looking over their shoulders -- except to look at the newly planted array of flowers.

E-mail: twolfe@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3916