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May 03, 2023

High Plains School hosts third Day of Service in Loveland

High Plains School participated in its third Day of Service on Tuesday, where

High Plains School participated in its third Day of Service on Tuesday, where the entire school spends the day serving the community in various ways.

Volunteer efforts happened both at the school and across town.

Some students journeyed to River's Edge Natural Area to clean the environment and perform trail maintenance, while others packed meals at KidsPak.

Some remained at the school, which serves kindergartners through eighth graders, helping to construct bunk beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that provides beds to children in need.

Others packed meals for Meals on Wheels or did maintenance work at Hearts and Horses, a nonprofit that provides animal therapy, or planted sustainable native grasses at the High Plains Environmental Center.

"There's just a lot of different ways that they can help in their community," said High Plains Principal Danielle Feeney. "And that's the big thing about this day. We want them to understand that you can have an impact at any age, and it doesn't mean you have to give money. You can give your time and your talents."

Some of those talents were provided by the High Plains Jazz Band.

The award-winning group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the Chilson Senior Center before breaking out their instruments and playing hits like "Louie Louie" and Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling" while visitors to the senior center ate lunch.

One such talent is Tobin Fletcher, a prodigious sixth-grade flute player who was named first chair in the district's honor band. According to musical director Shawna Lemons, he is the best middle school flutist in the district, a remarkable feat considering he only started learning to play two years ago.

Unlike many other middle school jazz musicians who play prepared solos, Fletcher improvises his. He learned to play during the pandemic, he said, watching YouTube videos and listening in to Zoom sessions.

"It's kind of funny," Fletcher said when asked why he chose the flute. "I thought it looked the most like the recorder, but it's actually extremely different." Elementary school music classes often teach basic music with short woodwind instruments called recorders.

Most groups during the day of service selected their tasks more or less at random, said Aiden Hernandez, an eighth grader who plays drums and percussion for the group. But because the entire band needed to be present to perform, all of the members went to the same place.

"We were all really excited, because we all really like playing," Hernandez said. "We really, really like music and jazz, so being able to come here and play, it's always welcome, we can always play more."

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