On Friday December 11th, 2009, Dellwood Middle School came together as a family, to give back to the community in honour of a great teacher and community leader, Mr. Ray Smith.

The middle school's students and staff participated in the annual Ray Smith Community Service Day in memory of a former deputy principal who died three years ago.

In the week leading up to this event, students collected can and dry foods, which were presented to The Salvation Army during the morning's assembly which was about philanthropy.

The guest speaker for the occasion was Ms Kristen White of the Center on Philanthropy, who talked to the students about opportunities for volunteerism. She encouraged them to join community service groups and give back to the community.

Her theme was that it is not the thought that counts but the action. For the rest of the day faculty and students worked in the community doing things such as cleaning up the school campus and the surrounding environment.

The M3 students cleaned windows for the elderly at Purvis Park Seniors Community and arranged merchandise for sale in the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. Some M2 students spent the afternoon reading to preschoolers at St. John's Preschool, while others helped to arrange books in the Victor Scott Primary School's library and decorated the school in preparation for their school play.

Mr. Ray Smith was known for his commitment to community improvement and was the driving force behind many initiatives to improve his community of St. George's as well as at Dellwood Middle School. This is why a special day has been named after him.

Jesse-Allan Tucker, a current M2 student, was asked on the day of the event why he thought the Ray Smith Community Service Day was important. He said: "This day is important because I know I am helping the environment."

When asked how she felt about the event, Dr. Musson, the principal of Dellwood Middle School, said: "I see this day as an opportunity for all of us in the Dellwood family to work together to improve our community.

"By giving back to others in some small way, we honour the legacy of Mr. Ray Smith, and do our part in taking responsibility for our collective well-being."