“Friends of Beako Give Back” Community Service Day gave students an opportunity to learn about four different organizations and to contribute in a hands-on and meaningful way by making items that were donated to the organizations. The day began with an assembly where the children were given an overview of their day and of the organizations by guests and representatives from National Center for Children and Families (NCCF), ShareBaby, Manor Care – Bethesda, and NIH Children’s Inn.  The assembly concluded with the second graders presenting a play written by our librarian. The play was based on the book, Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts, a story of “want” vs “need.”  In Literature, second graders discussed Those Shoes, brainstormed ideas, and wrote three original songs: “Needs and Wants,” “Kindness and Friendship,” and “Giving.” During the day, students decorated bookshelves and filled them with donated books for NCCF, collected and bagged clothing and items for ShareBaby, and decorated flower pots, filling them with either soil and a plant or candy and a handmade flower for Manor Care and NIH Children’s Inn.