Lessons were taught outside the classroom Thursday, as students spruced up a piece of Lackawanna County's history.
"We're raking up all the leaves, cutting the grass. I'm working on the tree, cutting up all the weeds. It's down and dirty," said St. Rose Academy eighth grader Tori Zawacki.
About 30 students from St. Rose Academy in Mayfield decided to clean up Maplewood Cemetery in Carbondale. Their teacher said when they came to her with the idea, she couldn't have been prouder.
"I loved it. These kids are powerhouses. The kids here always have these ideas and I was so happy that they came to me to do it," said teacher Jasmine Urzo.
The students said once they got to the cemetery they quickly realized it was much more than a community service project. It was a history lesson, too.
"They were telling us about all the people that are buried here, like the founders of Carbondale and Scranton and Dickson City. They're all buried here," said ninth grader Cassie Venezio.
Maplewood Cemetery was established in 1831 and is the final resting place for many of northeastern Pennsylvania's founding families. Over the years, the cemetery has suffered weather damage and has become overgrown. The Carbondale Historical Society has been working on restoration over the past year.
This mission in particular had a personal meaning for Zawacki. "My grandfather died last year and the cemetery there was really pretty and I felt really bad (about this place), so just to honor these people, I wanted to clean it up," Zawacki added.
Carbondale City Council members said the next step is to repair the wall around the graveyard and grave markers hopefully sometime next year.
"We're raking up all the leaves, cutting the grass. I'm working on the tree, cutting up all the weeds. It's down and dirty," said St. Rose Academy eighth grader Tori Zawacki.
About 30 students from St. Rose Academy in Mayfield decided to clean up Maplewood Cemetery in Carbondale. Their teacher said when they came to her with the idea, she couldn't have been prouder.
"I loved it. These kids are powerhouses. The kids here always have these ideas and I was so happy that they came to me to do it," said teacher Jasmine Urzo.
The students said once they got to the cemetery they quickly realized it was much more than a community service project. It was a history lesson, too.
"They were telling us about all the people that are buried here, like the founders of Carbondale and Scranton and Dickson City. They're all buried here," said ninth grader Cassie Venezio.
Maplewood Cemetery was established in 1831 and is the final resting place for many of northeastern Pennsylvania's founding families. Over the years, the cemetery has suffered weather damage and has become overgrown. The Carbondale Historical Society has been working on restoration over the past year.
This mission in particular had a personal meaning for Zawacki. "My grandfather died last year and the cemetery there was really pretty and I felt really bad (about this place), so just to honor these people, I wanted to clean it up," Zawacki added.
Carbondale City Council members said the next step is to repair the wall around the graveyard and grave markers hopefully sometime next year.
