The eighth-grade students at St. Peter Claver Regional School celebrated their upcoming graduation from middle school with a gift of service to their school.

The class planted a Japanese maple tree on the school grounds to help beautify the area between their old buildings and the new gym. The students also helped complete the log seating arrangement for the school’s outdoor classroom space in a wooded area behind the gym.

As the class graduates and leaves the Decatur school, 64 percent of them are planning to attend St. Pius X High School in Atlanta, while 14 percent of them plan to attend Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fairburn.

As they neared their graduation, the classmates explored the role of alumni in the success of any institution of learning. Understanding the investment the community of St. Peter Claver has made in their educational success over the years, they chose to use their own talents to give back to the school by giving time and energy to improve the grounds. The class graduated Friday, May 18.