The second annual high school cleanup included an all-morning effort by parents, administrators, teachers and students to improve the campus grounds and beautify the school. About 300 people rolled into the quad between 8 and 9 a.m. on Sept. 4. Many fought off yawns, while others refilled their cups of coffee. They mingled, munched on pastries and then got to work.

Projects ranged from picking up trash and sweeping halls to weeding and cleaning debris from the bottom of the pool. Some of the student athletes and band members participated as teams and groups, while others came individually to earn community service credit for their ninth-grade health classes.

"It's a social opportunity and a great feeling of accomplishment when they're done," said Principal Dr. Kevin Skelly, as he finished speaking into a walkie-talkie, asking maintenance staff for more brooms.

Spare rakes, brooms, garage bags, paint and rollers were hard to find, because there were so many volunteers—even with an extra supply of cleaning equipment purchased for the cleanup day.

Skelly said one person working full time all year was roughly the equivalent of all the time put in by the 300 volunteers.

Reminding students to wear latex gloves and wash their hands after cleaning out some recycling containers, Assistant Principal Brian Safine supervised the event and delegated duties. He said all of the jobs assigned to the volunteers were adult-supervised and safe.

"The most positive aspect is that people who wouldn't normally hang out at school or in the community come together on a task," Safine said.

When the event was started last year, it was intended for sports teams. For example, the tennis team scrubbed the tennis courts and the water polo and swimming teams cleaned the pool. But senior Michelle Mighdoll, the school's head athletic commissioner, said the event has expanded and this year many of the participants were not from sports teams.

"It has changed from a team-unity event to a school-unity event," she said. "Originally it was just going to be sports working together, and now it's everybody working together."

Freshmen Joey Pollard-Vithanage and Lenny Liccardo and the junior varsity football team packed wheelbarrows full of compost into planter boxes. They joked about not being paid for their labor, but overall said it was a bonding activity for the team.

The Parent, Teacher, Student Association provided the volunteers with breakfast, and the athletic boosters club provided them with lunch. Parent Kelly Berryhill, of Saratoga, said she hoped the students gained more pride in their school from the event.

"I love seeing the kids out here because maybe they're buying into the program. Maybe they'll keep the campus clean, and maybe they'll throw their trash in the garbage can next time," Berryhill said.

Parent Maureen Barton, who has a freshman son in the band, said she hoped the event saved the school money while bringing the students closer together.

"If we can support the students in whatever they do that's important," Barton said. "Education is such a top priority. It's our hope for the future."

Assistant Principal Karen Hyde weeded planter boxes right alongside the students, getting the boxes ready for flower planting and her hands dirty in the process. She said given recent budget cuts, even unskilled volunteers were helping the school's maintenance staff.

"The hours and the money we are saving are incredible," she said.