The Bark has given its fair share of attention lately to Bearden improvements, but now the entire Bearden community has a chance to make a difference at BHS during the first ever “Love on BHS” day.

“It’s something I’ve thought about for the last several years, and now [as an administrator]… I have the ability to reach out to a lot more people,” said Mrs. Anna Graham, who was an English teacher at Bearden for about 10 years before moving into administration this fall.

“Love on BHS” day is the brainchild of Mrs. Graham, and she is organizing all aspects of the project. It will consist of a day devoted to doing the multitude of small jobs around Bearden that have fallen to the wayside as the years have gone on. These include things like painting teachers’ rooms, cleaning, dusting, and landscaping.

“They sound like simple little things but the overall effect and impact would make a huge difference in how our building looks and how it’s run,” Mrs. Graham said.

“Love on BHS” day will take place on Jan. 2, with a shift from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and another from 12 to 3 p.m. You can RSVP by emailing Mrs. Graham at [email protected].

Usually this enormous collection of tasks falls to the leadership and SGA students, who show up two weeks before the year starts and begin working, but even with their efforts, this still isn’t enough. There are simply too many jobs, too few people, and too little time, but “Love on BHS” day is going to change that.

“This past summer we painted all the science tables…[and] it took us like a week, but maybe on this ‘Love on BHS’ day everyone could get it done in a day,” student body vice president Sydney Gabrielson said. “I think we could progress a lot farther and have a lot more projects completed on this day.”

By inviting all members of the Bearden community, regardless of age, occupation, or ties to Bearden, to come participate, Mrs. Graham also hopes to bring the community together in this event.

“I’m hoping that it will allow the community… to feel like Bearden High School is their school too,” Mrs. Graham said.

The event is also an enlightening experience for those who are a part of it.

“I saw what kind of work had to be done… [and] I appreciated the little things in the school that before, I didn’t really notice,” leadership student and junior Griffin Davis said.

“Teachers’ classrooms change every year and you don’t think about who’s been painting it or what’s been going on to make that look better.”

With the knowledge that many people struggle with extremely busy schedules, Mrs. Graham stressed that any amount of time a person can give is extremely valuable.

“Whatever we can get done is awesome because that’s more than we were getting done before,” she said. “It’s a success even if we just get three or four things done – it’s a success because it wouldn’t have gotten done before.”

For many of the students, as Gabrielson put it, Bearden is a “home away from home”, and “Love on BHS” day is a unique opportunity to give back to the school and the community.

“Bearden loves you, so love on Bearden,” Gabrielson said.