HEBRON — Hebron Academy held its first community service day in late November to kick off the holiday season.

School officials said 233 Upper School students at the academy volunteered at nonprofit organizations across Oxford and Androscoggin counties. They included Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn, the 4-H Learning Center in Woodstock, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Hebron Station School, McLaughlin Gardens in Paris, Community Concepts in Paris and several nursing homes and farms.

Officials said the day was a unique experience for the school, which prides itself on fostering a tightly knit community of students, teachers and staff.

“At Hebron, we are committed to promoting a strong sense of community, not only within the boundaries of our campus, but also in our town of Hebron and the surrounding towns of Oxford County,” John King, head of school, said. “We feel that sharing this day of service together as a school will both nurture our students’ and faculty’s civic responsibility and benefit those in need during this holiday season.”

Those who planned the day agreed that it was no easy task convening all members of Hebron’s busy Upper School, but they concur that it was worth the legwork.

“Everyone at Hebron plays multiple roles as teachers, coaches, artists and staff. There’s never a perfect time that accommodates all schedules, but it was great to see people put aside their daily routines to recognize the impact this day would have on the surrounding communities,” said Alex Godomsky, the school’s director of student life and information technology, who coordinated the event.

School officials said serving the surrounding community is a major component of the academy’s culture and curriculum, and has been since the small, independent college preparatory school was founded in 1804. Students volunteer regularly during the week at Hebron Station Elementary School and make weekly visits to the McLaughlin Gardens in Paris. The academy also shares its campus with the surrounding area, offering access to its 1,000 acres of trails and art and athletic facilities.