At the School District of Lancaster, we believe learning doesn’t stop at the edge of the schoolyard. It stretches into neighborhoods, parks, front porches, and community centers into the very spaces that shape our students’ lives. Few examples embody this truth better than the blossoming partnership between Reynolds Middle School and the Riverside Camping Association, where service and connection bloom side by side.
Each spring, Riverside Association hosts a community cleanup and seasonal kickoff, a tradition rooted in beautification, but grown from something far more enduring: community. This year, 17 students from across the district, including Reynolds MS, Wheatland MS, Lincoln MS, McCaskey HS and SDoL’s Cyber Pathways Academy gathered to help prepare Riverside’s patio and grounds for another season of fellowship and impact. They weren’t required to be there. They chose to show up, to serve, to connect, to grow and to uplift a space that has given so much to our students, staff, and families.
“Every year, we come out to Riverside to help with patio cleanup and opening,” explained Lakeesha Bair-Myers, school social worker at Reynolds MS, one of the key organizers of this long-standing collaboration. “It’s become a tradition to mark the start of spring and summer. We plant flowers, help with small renovations, and beautify the space. I spread the word, and students invite their friends. If a student wants to give back, we welcome them, no matter what school they attend.” 
This grassroots spirit is what makes the Reynolds–Riverside partnership so special. It’s not limited to one school or one event. It’s a shared vision of support that spans the entire district. The students who arrive to volunteer are part of something bigger than just a single clean-up day. They’re contributing to a space that gives back year-round in quiet, powerful ways.
From donations that support Girls on the Run to contributions to care closets in multiple schools, Riverside Association is a steady, consistent presence in the lives of our students. Their generosity fuels attendance incentives, PBIS rewards, and school stores. Their presence helps build positive school culture and student morale. As Reynolds Assistant Principal Jacqueline Churchill puts it, “This is a true partnership. We help them with what they need, and they help us with our initiatives. We’ve built a true partnership where we show up for each other”
At the heart of this collaboration is Vickie Lentz, a longtime Riverside member and the original visionary behind the beautification efforts. Since 2017, Vickie has led the charge in transforming the club’s outdoor space. What began with planting donated bulbs and clearing brush soon grew into an all-season labor of love. Over the years, she and friends like Sean have planted ornamental grasses, reshaped garden banks, and created an inviting atmosphere for community gatherings.
“This all started when we put the islands in,” Vickie shared. “A friend gave me a bunch of bulbs, and me and Sean planted them. Then one member gave me some ornamental grasses from her yard. I dug them up and replanted them here. Each year, we cleared a little more. And now, it’s become something bigger than I ever imagined.”
But this year was different.
Vickie, recovering from a car accident and recently diagnosed with cancer, found herself physically unable to participate in the way she always had.“I’m really upset with myself that I can’t do anything,” she admitted through tears. “But I’m so impressed. I can’t thank them enough. This is the biggest and quickest turnout we’ve ever had. It means the world to me.”
Her words carried more than gratitude, they carried wisdom.
“Pay it forward,” she said. “That’s what we’ve always done here at Riverside. If you’ve helped in the past, then you help show someone new the way. You guide them, and you put them in the right direction. That’s how we build something that lasts.”
Indeed, that’s exactly what’s happening through this partnership: a legacy is being built. One where students return year after year, not only learning how to weed a flowerbed or rake leaves, but also how to care for a place, for a neighbor, for a cause. They’re stepping into roles of leadership, modeling for newcomers what service looks like, and leaving a mark on their city that will long outlast them.
We often talk about whole-child education in SDoL. This partnership is a living, breathing example of what that means. It’s about fostering students who aren’t just academically prepared but civically engaged. Students who understand the power of community. Students who feel a sense of ownership over the spaces they inhabit, and pride in the work they do.
“If you’ve helped out before, help someone who hasn’t. Show them the way. That’s how it works. That’s how we grow.”
That message clearly resonates. As Vickie looked out across the bustling grounds, she noted that this year’s turnout was the largest and fastest she’d ever seen. “We’ve never been this far along this early in the day,” she said with a smile.
This partnership is a relationship built on trust, care, and a shared investment in Lancaster’s future. The students who come to plant and clean leave with more than dirt on their hands, they carry a deeper sense of community, purpose, and pride. In Riverside, they see the impact of collective action. In Vickie, they see a model of service and strength. And in themselves, they begin to understand their power to shape the world around them.
To Vickie, to the members of the Riverside Association, and to every student, staff member, and volunteer who showed up, thank you. You’ve reminded us that education doesn’t just happen in schools. It happens in gardens, in neighborhoods, and in the relationships we build with one another.
This is what it means to be part of the School District of Lancaster. This is what it means to grow together.
