Service Learning

The faculty Service Learning committee was formed in September of 2009. We have spent this year brainstorming ideas for the promotion and celebration of service learning within our community. As one of our first concrete steps toward this end, we would like to share examples of volunteer acts that are taking place both in and out of our classrooms.

This month we'd like to commend the following:

Three 5th grade boys have shared their time and talent with Food Lifeline. Food Lifeline is a nonprofit agency which works to bring food to low-income people in Western Washington. Matt Q. and Edward P., as part of their Cub Scout service, helped to repackage oranges from large boxes to family-sized packages. They then recycled the boxes. Matt said of the experience, "I didn't know exactly who I was helping, but it felt good to know that I was helping."Jackson D. also worked at Food Lifeline. He was connected by Gus V.'s family and Gabe H.'s family who have participated with this organization on a number of occasions. Jackson's job was to repackage cereal.

On a whole-school level, the Student Council organized a Haiti Relief bazaar which took place during the Community Cultural Celebration. The Council became aware of the plight of Haiti through the news and decided they wanted to do something to help. They organized a panel of speakers who had direct experience with the tragedy in Haiti to raise awareness school-wide. Research told them that what would have the greatest impact was to send money. The students set up a Moodle site for people to provide suggestions of ways to raise money. Through this the bazaar was born. Student Council members took the message to their classes, where each class created a craft or food item to offer at the bazaar. Items were purchased through donations only. The school efforts raised over $1700. The Council then voted to divide the money between a school family with relatives in Haiti and Mercy Corp, an organization that not only gets the money where it needs to go, but also hires Haitians to work.

We salute these efforts and invite any of you who would like to share your family's, or your children's service learning experiences to send a short description to Lynn Scriven at Lynn Scriven. We would love to share as many of your stories as possible.