Every year, a national Make a Difference Day is promoted throughout the United States to encourage people to take an active role in serving others. Thousands of projects are either begun or concluded on the last Saturday in October. This year, student and staff volunteered a Saturday morning to clean up the grounds of the Doran Elementary School on October 25,2008. "Our fourth- and fifth-graders pitched in to join students from Kuss Middle School to clean and beautify our grounds--our environment," stated Principal Maria Pontes. School staff also volunteered the morning without pay to join the students. Click to read about the three other Make a Difference Day projects last year in Fall River, including the Greene School Clean-up. For more information about Make a Difference Day in Fall River, contact Fall River Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey at 508-324-2419.
 

(Top row, center) Fifth-grade students Shelby Dykeman, Jasmine Silva and Susan Heskett load a bag with leaves as school principal Maria Ponte holds it open for them. (Top row, right) Fifth-grader Shannon Dupras works with vice-principal Magaly Sanchez to clean up the shrubbery. (Middle row, left and right) School custodians Steve Cordeiro and Joe Barboza volunteer their time to help with the clean-up. (Middle row, center) Kuss Middle School seventh-graders Savannah Soares, Tanisha Rebello and Stephanie Duprae sweep up a pile of trash. (Bottom row, left) Fourth-grader Audrey Figueroa and fifth-grader Nicole Emsley help fourth-grade teacher Eileen Tracy sweep up a walkway. (Bottom row, center) Second-grader Bailey Gravette and her fourth-grade sister Jamie help fourth-grade teacher Rachel Nogueira clean up in front of the school entrance. (Bottom row, right) Bailey Gravette, Kaitlin Carreiro and Tatiana Candido pause after working hard on the project.