Fifty North Rose-Wolcott High School seniors participated in a service learning opportunity on November 7, sprucing up York Settlement Cemetery.

Students picked up leaves and branches, cleaned headstones, placed flags on veterans’ graves, and performed other maintenance tasks at the cemetery. There are 64 veterans buried at York Settlement Cemetery, said Rose Town Supervisor Richard Lasher, who said the students’ time and hard work was much appreciated.

This is the first time NRW students have worked with the town for a service project, said Lasher. “It’s a big help for us,” he said, adding that he looks forward to working with students again in the future.

The idea to connect with Lasher for a service opportunity initially stemmed from Brian LaValley, NRWHS technology teacher, with additional encouragement from Principal Scott Bradley. NRW staff members involved with Monday’s cleanup included school counselor Julie Gilman, senior class advisers Amber Landry and Kelley Allen, Participation in Government teacher Adam Hawley, and Jen Sloan. Lasher and Councilwoman Christine Rice represented the Town of Rose. Allen’s father brought extra rakes and Matt King brought tarps to help make moving leaves easier.

“The teamwork was amazing! We really appreciate Mr. Lasher’s willingness to help our kids have such a great experience,” Gilman said. “It was such a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community in a meaningful way and we are hopeful to have more experiences like this in the near future.”