Students Speak, Ross Valley Reporter

A trio of Branson students spoke earlier this month at Ross School during a special assembly to teach elementary schools students about community service. Student-body co-presidents Emily Cannon and David Wachtel joined by junior Raffi Mardirosian in talking to the younger children about volunteer programs involving Branson students, including providing sandwiches for the homeless, meals for AIDS patients and recreational activities for individuals with developmental disabilities at Cedars of Marin.

Raffi Mardirosian also presented a video and described his involvement with the global nonprofit organization Roots of Peace, which is dedicated to eradicating land mines in Afghanistan. The Branson School has built a partnership with Roots of Peace through the “Making Change Work” penny drive, funds from which do toward improving the lives of children in Afghanistan. To date, the school has raised tens of thousands of dollars towards the cause, and their successful efforts have been featured on ABC News.

Students at Ross School we also excited by the chance to affect the lives of Afghani children in a positive way. Indeed, they have adopted their own “Making Change Work” penny drive, led by third-graders Peter Mascheroni and Nick Boesel.