and played “London Bridge is Falling Down,” while another brought a play parachute from home. They have also launched toy drives for the children. The overriding goal is having fun. “We really don’t want it to be like work,” Rachel says.


Both Rachel and Anu are already fully committed to volunteering in the community. This project is above and beyond any hours required for their IB service component.


Anu began volunteering when she came to BHS in Year 10.


She has worked in the Alzheimer’s & Related Disease Unit (ARDU) at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, as well as the hospital’s VolunTeen Programme; Tomorrow’s Voices, an autism early intervention centre; and BEST, the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce.


Rachel, who has attended BHS since age 5, enjoys geography. She is


undecided about a career, but may look into teaching.


Rachel has volunteered with the


Brownies since she was 11 years old. A former Brownie herself, she wanted girls to have the same great experience she had as a young girl in the organization. With the playgroup, both girls also


proved skilled at creating something from scratch. Ms Willcott, who also teaches English at BHS, describes both as strong leaders who jumped at the chance to start the playgroup. They are both “giving and hard-working,” she says. Ms Willcott says “it’s lovely to watch” the interaction between the girls who volunteer on Saturdays and the autistic children. These children are transformed when they see the girls, who are “so open and loving to these kids.” “You can see when they come here that they are really excited to be here,” she says.


Volunteer mom “pops


up” to help out Nine years ago, Kerri Lamb stepped up to help in her daughter Alison’s Primary 1 class. And right from the get- go, she was hooked.


“The best part was spending time with the girls,” Kerri said of her early days as class parent in Liz Counsell’s room. “I got such a kick out of them all.”


From there Kerri threw herself full tilt into being a school volunteer, taking on everything from making popcorn at Friday lunch to staging the hugely popular Primary talent show. Kerri also took on greater responsibilities, joining the PTA and becoming Class Parent Coordinator.


It was in this capacity that, while brainstorming ways to raise money, she came up with the idea that proved a huge hit - Popcorn Recess. The PTA, in keeping with school policy, wanted a healthy treat in place of the sugary snacks traditionally sold to raise money at schools. Popcorn fit the bill.


“It’s a great way to raise money. Everything you make is yours,” says Kerri, a Bermudian who attended BHS during her final Secondary year.


The only investment the PTA needed to make was the machine. Other mothers volunteered on the day to assist with popping literally piles of popcorn.


As time goes on, the girls have gotten to know the children as individuals, such as the boy who loves to quote movie lines he’s learned. There’s also the boy, who doesn’t like to be touched, yet has become so attached to a Year 7 girl that he will put his arm around her. And Rachel laughingly remembers when someone called her “a very stubborn woman”.


Both Rachel and Anu would like to see the group provide additional opportunities for the children, such as field trips and more toy drives. “There is a lot of satisfaction which can’t be beat when you volunteer,” says Anu about giving time to the community. “A lot of older folks are surprised when they hear that young people are out and volunteering. My generation has been underestimated, and it is exhilarating when we get to prove them wrong. We’re not always party animals. We are a generation of love and giving.”


“It took all morning to pop it. It turned out to be a real social morning,” Kerri says.


The Friday sales were such a hit with the girls that the PTA paid off the popping machine in about half a term. After that, every sale was a “clear profit.”


Today the smell of popcorn wafting through the halls is an anticipated school tradition, but there were a few glitches to overcome along the way. Kerri recalls the two accidentally triggered fire alarms - including twice in the same morning. But no harm was done. “All in good humor,” Kerri says.


The most rewarding volunteer experience at BHS for Kerri, however, was championing the Primary school’s annual talent show. For three years, Kerri produced the show along with her friend and fellow PTA member Elin Thresh.


“I swear to God, it was the best thing I ever did,” she says. “It was so much fun. The girls were so enthusiastic.”


It was also plenty of hard work with full sets, costumes and more, but she had help from a group of other enthusiastic parents plus IB students, who contributed with lighting and sound work. The volunteers had a “grand time”.


“The kids were a riot,” she laughs. “They were such a riot.”


Kerri says the girls really appreciated being in the show and she continues to follow the progress of some of the participants who moved on to dance recitals or school shows like this year’s “Peter Pan”.


Kerri was a class parent in every year of Alison’s Primary school days. (Her daughter is now in Year 9.) Although she has now stepped back from “full-time” volunteering, she is still active helping to raise money and gather supplies for the upcoming school service trip to Peru. She is also ready to help out with school drama productions, especially when it’s coming up with that key prop.


“I am always available to give a hand,” Kerri says. Torchbearer Spring 2012 11


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