On February 21, Interact Club members traveled to Jamison Elementary school to donate books and engage in discussions with them.

Students broke up into groups of 2-3 people and went to different classrooms around the school. Some groups read books to the younger children, while other groups participated in discussions with the older students.

This was junior Chloey DiBartolo’s second time visiting Jamison. She enjoys the field trip a lot because it allows her to help the children. “We were able to donate books that the students there could use and enjoy,” she said.

Interact Club was able to donate boxes and bags filled with children’s books for kids kindergarten through eighth grade.

Sophomore Trenton Lam enjoyed helping the children academically. “I liked reading to the kids because they were so excited by reading. It made me really happy to see them so enraptured by books that I read when I was a kid,” he said.

Besides exposing the children to new books, another valuable part of the trip was experiencing what life is like in their school. DiBartolo said, “It was a very different atmosphere, but certainly eye opening.”

Sixth through eighth graders were able to engage in discussions about life, high school, and many other topics. “We talked about what their favorite classes were, their goals for the future, the activities they’re involved in, and the challenges they’ve learned to overcome,” DiBartolo said.

DiBartolo also enjoyed knowing she was passing on important and helpful advice for the students she met with. “I had them ask me questions they had about high school and gave them tips for when they get there. It was great being able to pass along my knowledge and experiences to make them more comfortable with the idea of a new school atmosphere,” she said.

Junior John Catalano visited the school for the second time, as well. “I love getting to meet all the students and talking to them about their futures,” he said. The students shared their future goals such as becoming dancers, teachers, and doctors.

Lam’s discussion with the third graders went a little differently. He ignited a more creative discussion for the younger kids by asking them what they would wish for from a magic pebble. “It’s things like this that make field trips like this really worth it, knowing I can spark the imagination in a child that would normally be bored,” he said.

Interact Club hopes to have another successful trip to Jamison Elementary School next year, filled with just as many books and fun-filled experiences.