Driscoll Middle School conducted its 2008 Driscoll Defender Day on Thursday, Apr. 10, 2008. Parents and students attended the event for a BBQ dinner and a presentation of students and their organizations.

The idea of the event began with a desire to celebrate the life of Clara Driscoll and recognize her dedication to the community. This celebration then tied into showcasing the dedication of students to their school and community.

"Just like Clara Driscoll, our students are giving back," said Pam Stevenson, PTA president and lead organizer of Defender Day. "This is a way to let the parents hear all the good things their students are doing."

As Driscoll Principal Michael Cardona announced each student organization, whether a club, fine art or athletic group, the students ran, jumped, whooped and hollered to show both their participation and enthusiasm.

"We wanted to showcase all the good things at Driscoll," said Cardona. "This is to say 'thank you' to our students for their participation."

In addition to highlighting student groups, Cardona also took a moment to introduce Suzanne Lindblad, the artist who designed and painted the school's new mural dedicated to Clara Driscoll. After the presentation of students, families were encouraged to visit the mural.

Both Cardona and Stevenson are envisioning a bigger, community-wide event for next year.

"We hope to build on this event," said Stevenson. "We're taking small steps to reach out to the community." Cardona hopes to add a more carnival-like atmosphere to next year's event, while still acknowledging all the student groups.