The senior class of Flathead High School invites the public to a community barbecue at the school Friday as part of a “Give Back” student service day.

In addition to saying thanks to people who support the school, another goal is that the Give Back event will make amends with the student body and community for vandalism at the school May 10 when a senior prank apparently went awry.

From 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, the community is invited to celebrate the graduating class at a barbecue in Senior Square at the high school.

Hot dogs and potluck dishes will be served by seniors and the student council. Entertainment by student musicians is being organized.

During the day, Flathead student groups and clubs have been encouraged to organize their service activities in and around the school for picking up garbage, beautification or making/collecting donations for nonprofits.

Seniors also will participate in a thank-you event in the district’s elementary schools.

The Give Back event was organized by the senior class, including several seniors on the student council, such as Mason DeVries and Wyatt Dykhuizen.

Every year seniors use money raised by the student council to do what they wish for the school or community at the end of the year, Dykhuizen said.

“This year we were going to do something, but we were not exactly sure,” Dykhuizen said.

An end-of-year celebration event was in the works before the vandalism occurred.

However, the May 10 incident involving 21 students made it even more meaningful to get the message out that the vandalism does not reflect the senior class as a whole. This is why the day combines community outreach and service projects, DeVries said.

“We wanted to show that’s not who we are,” Dykhuizen said. “Only a small group of people were involved in that [vandalism incident] and it doesn’t represent our school overall — especially the senior class.”

Vandalism is not the lasting memory most seniors want to leave after four years of achievement in academics and activities, according to DeVries.

“There’s a whole bunch of really amazing things Flathead has done over the years,” DeVries said. “We don’t want those achievements and successes to be overshadowed by one thing that happened on one night.”

Assistant Principal Michele Paine said she was proud to see the seniors come together in this way after the vandalism incident.

“They really want to be remembered as ‘A Class with CLASS,’” Paine stated in an email.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].