With spring break quickly approaching, most students are simply trudging along, eagerly awaiting the break. However, FCHS clubs and organizations are focused on something much greater. On March 31, classes will pause from teaching, rooms will be empty, hallways will fall silent, and buses will travel around the county for four hours of volunteering.

With more than 500 students leaving the premises to participate, FCHS will divide and conquer various work sites as multiple clubs, including FCA, Cosmetology, BETA, FBLA, and various sports teams, offer a helping hand. Even individual classes are getting in on the fun.

“It is important for students to serve. We are a close-knit community which makes it fairly easy to lend a hand. I feel as if we are obligated to offer our help,” said SGA student Sophie Kershner.

In preparation for this day, FCHS teacher David Small, who has overseen the event with teacher Jimmy Koczan and the SGA staff, created an online form that was easily accessible to everyone in need of help. Volunteer opportunities, job sites, and nonprofits were able to fill out the form and get their names on the spreadsheet, and a whopping 35 locations made the list, ranging from washing fire trucks at a local fire station to cleaning up and landscaping.

Small says that the goal of Hands on Fluvanna, now in its second year,  is to “send chaperoned high school students into the community on this day to help instill the concept of ‘service above self’ in our students.”

Students who are not leaving the premises with a group have an alternative-option. There will be many other opportunities on the school grounds alone, such as packaging meals for the “Stop Hunger Now” project, making cards for soldiers overseas, general maintenance and cleaning within the school, and basic landscaping.

This is an opportunity for every student at FCHS to do their part in making a difference, and show that caring is a part of learning.