The creed for the United States Postal Service notes that “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” will prevent them from getting the job done.

The same could apply to the annual Service Day at Hiatt Middle School. On a day when the temperature was cooler than normal and a light drizzle interrupted a light rain, these middle schoolers went about their rounds of improvements at their school and in the neighborhood.

The Service Day at Hiatt is an opportunity for students to learn more about volunteerism and ways to become more engaged with the community. This year more than 550 students in grades 6-8 participated.

Viva East Bank – a community organization that works closely with many east-side schools – helped organize this year’s event, which included planting produce in a community garden, picking up litter, and making gifts for residents of a nearby retirement center.

Habitat for Humanity was also on hand, helping students build new community benches. And inside the gymnasium several students were gathered around large pieces of fabric creating a mural – a collage of images that form two large hands – which will be displayed at the school.

Near the main entrance to Hiatt is a sign with the school’s logo that reads “no on stands alone,” a Service Day project from a few years ago. The words on the sign were very literal today as a couple of dozen students and staff were gathered around it planting a new flower garden.

Hiatt is also home to a Litter Letter project, five-foot tall metal letters that serve as trash receptacles. The letters at Hiatt appropriately spell out “Dream.” Once students finished filling them with litter they made things look even better by planting more flowers around the base of each letter.

Pete Townsend of The Who wrote a song for the band’s first album more than 50 years ago called “The Kids are Alright”, four words that well-described Hiatt students today.