Keeping with a tradition that started in 1983 at Westlake School, twenty eighth graders visited Mar Vista Head Start to fulfill their community service requirement.

One of eight trips taken annually to the housing project, the students spent time with preschoolers on the morning of Oct. 22.  Volunteers played with the children on the playground, read stories, sang songs and helped with Halloween arts and crafts. 

The program is open to all eighth grade students, and is traditionally very popular.  All trips occur during the school day, with four trips in the morning and four in the afternoon.  The two schools have had a strong partnership ever since the start of the trips 24 years ago. Students are obliged to perform the required 12 hours of community service each year, and the Mar Vista trip fulfills three to four of those hours.

The trip was coordinated by middle school Spanish teacher Anamaria Ayala, history teachers Matt Cutler and Karen Fukushima and library and technology teacher Jessica Kaufman.