Every year, each middle school grade hosts a community service event. Usually, the 6th and 7th graders do the walkathon, an event that raises money by walking long distances. However, the 8th graders do something different. They do not raise money. They clean up the Tama River. Each year, around Earth Day, the 8th-grade students walk along the Tama River with trash bags and pick up trash around the area. However, this year, due to bad weather, the event has been postponed to May 14th.
There are two reasons noted by 8th-grade science teacher, Mr. Ofstedal, for the cleanup. The first reason is that students get to think about the small things they can do to help keep the planet clean. The second reason noted is to get the students out of the classroom since the river is “such a beautiful place”. Each year, the clean-up successfully picks up several bags. of plastic trash that would have ended up in the blown or washed away.
There was a 2016 prediction by the World Economic Forum that noted that if humans continue to live life just like now, the plastic waste will outweigh the total mass of fish in the ocean by 2050. Additionally, a study conducted by the Ocean Blue Project in November of 2025 found that 90% of seabirds have microplastics in them. Therefore, according to Mr. Ofstedal, the trip is a “reminder to the students that our actions can have an impact”.
This tradition dates back to 2018. Back then, it was mentioned that it was done on the same day as the Middle School Choral Festival, where the teachers only took non-choir students. However, in 2021, it was expanded to the whole grade, so that everyone can enjoy this fun experience and have a small break from the classroom.
Ultimately, the Tama River Clean-up is like a wake-up call for students, but also a service trip for the community. In an era where plastic is extremely dominant, people must take small acts to reduce plastic waste, so that we can preserve the community we live in.
