The summer season may still be in full effect, but eighth grade students attending Good Shepherd Catholic Academy are already back in the classroom, helping to set it up ahead of the school year.

"This school means a lot to me," said Aedin, a current eighth grade student. "I wanted to help out my teachers and the other students and my friends."

For over a decade, eighth grade students at Good Shepherd Catholic Academy have followed the tradition of helping to clean up and restock the school classrooms, with books, new supplies and furniture. Timothy Dillon, a former teacher at the school and now the principal, said it's an experience that can only be described as "rewarding."

"They could be playing video games or hanging out with friends, but here they are helping out and doing some work at the school as leaders of the community," said Dillon.

Each book the students carry into a classroom earns them community service hours toward confirmation and gives teachers a head-start on setup. The project is run over the course of two days, with the next Eighth Grade Help Day happening during the last week of August. Students like Marabaglio say they're "happy" to help with the project and excited to pass on to the next class.

"I'd want to introduce them to everyone," Marabaglio said. "And let them know this is an awesome school and its going to be great year."