Dixon High School Seeks Help to Beautify

This year’s graduating class of l will be the first class to have known only the new campus. They started as freshmen in fall of 2007 and it was hoped by the administration that this year would be when students finally claimed “ownership” for their campus. Perhaps they are but they are still going to need a little help from the public.

The second annual DHS Beautification Day has been set for Saturday, March 19, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. with a barbecue lunch and refreshments afterward. The Leadership and the Public Service Academy are organizing the helpers and the publicity for the clean up day and UC Davis Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) will provide refreshments and the barbecue. They’ll also get some help from the Dixon Kiwanis and hope to get some other civic organizations involved as well.

Last year, approximately 100 students, teachers, adults, and civic organization leaders converged on the campus and worked hard to scrape gum off concrete, plant flowers, pick up trash, power spray patio tables, wash windows, and do other beautification projects.

I have to admit, it was an impressive movement and I felt the students exhibited a great deal of maturity working as teams and showed pride in their accomplishments. By the time lunch rolled around, the campus looked amazingly different and the students took their well-deserved break.

This year, Principal Ivan Chaidez set the date with all the same hopes for equal, if not more, success. But there is something more that needs to be happening here, though, and I am hoping we will see that progress: Ram Pride.

When many students are finished with their lunches, they do not pick up after themselves. When they are passing from class to class, there are far too many who think nothing of dropping papers and ignoring them. Weekly, the campus looks like a dumpster rolled up and let it all fly out.

At the teen age, just how does one teach pride of ownership? Just how does one teach responsibility and respect for property? We are looking for ideas but do know a couple things for sure: One, students can tell their peers that trashing the school is not good and two, never be a litterbug. 

If anyone can help come along side the students who do care and help the students who will work hard volunteering their Saturday morning to care for their school, please mark the calendar and bring a pair of work gloves! There is a lot to do. For more information, go to www.dhsrams.com or call (707) 678-2391 to see how you can help.