What does "service" mean?

On Friday, December 19, all of Chaska Middle School West was in the gym for a wonderful music concert - 7th & 8th grade bands, choirs, and orchestra. After the concert, I stayed to help clean up so PE classes could start. My heart dropped when I found smashed KitKat bars among the other trash on the floor. I also found packaging from one of the gift-exchange items that we had just shared in advisory.
Why did this disturb me so much? I guess because we have been trying to establish some expectations in advisory about how people should treat other people. Basic, common courtesy involves cleaning up your own messes (or perhaps not creating them in the first place). So here it is Christmas Eve morning and I don't want to forget to communicate with you about this. I realize that it was probably just a few people (and I'm NOT looking for names of culprits!) and that most of the 31 of you would not carelessly toss your trash on the floor (or smash candy bars that had been given to you).
What do you think? What does service mean to you? I'm glad that I was the one to clean up the mess, and not one of the PE teachers. What's in your heart, and do you think about the impact of your actions on others? Work for good, not for ill.

Blankets

John S wrote:
Our advisory is making fleece blankets. We made them for the Bridge for Youth (http://www.bridgeforyouth.org/). They were made by getting two peices of fleece fabric and laying them on top of each other. Next we would make some measurements and cut 5 inch lines into the edges of the blanket. Then with those strips we would tie knots with them so that the two peices of blankets were tied together.
The outcomes of this project are an "awareness of homelessness as it relates to current economic stressors. A confidence that individuals can make a positive difference in the community. An increase in each student's sense of community. An increased desire to serve others."

Mrs. LaMoore says:
Some students have really taken this project to heart, working hard in the short amount of time we have to cut and tie the blankets. Others have been less connected. We talked about homelessness, particularly as it relates to other teenagers. We shared data on homelessness in the local area. I'm eager to read students' responses to this blog entry. I'm also looking forward to presenting the blankets to The Bridge for Youth.

Mosquito Nets

In October, we heard Annie's mom talk about raising money for mosquito nets for families in Uganda. We need to decide if we are going to participate!

"I am on the board of Friends Serving Uganda which is a non-profit created by three local families. We have adopted two villages in Uganda and have helped them with clean water, healthcare, and schools."

"Depending on what you desire the students to learn, we could be creative in finding a fun way for them to participate. My husband and I will be visiting the villages at the end of November and we could take things along on our trip and have pictures for the students."

We missed the November deadline (busy with food drive), but could start now for the spring trip. What do you think?

Carlson's Lovable Llamas

One person in our advisory asked if we could go out to the llama farm and help the Carlson family take care of the animals. This project combined education with service in a big way! We learned a lot about llamas while grooming them, taking them for walks, and feeding them grain. Here's an Animoto video of our experience:

Feed My Starving Children

We need to get a date on the calendar for this! I'm curious, though. Why is this such a popular event with students in Chaska? I (Mrs. LaMoore) have never been to FMSC, and yet I keep hearing kids talk about how it's "the best" service project. Please tell me why. . .

Food Drive

Our school ran a food drive. Our advisory goal was 199 items and $210. Each student committed to what they could bring in by filling out a little slip of paper. We brought in 158 items and $188 (but half of that was Mrs. LeMay's matching money . . . ). So students brought in $94 (as of 11/14).


One person thought we didn't care enough (as a group). When Mrs. LaMoore offered to throw a party with lots of food, people got more energized. We came up with $212 which was over our goal. We also went over our goal on food items (with a total of 236). If we had contributed this much during the school food drive, we would have won for the school-wide contest (8th grade). Mrs. LeMay brought the food to the food shelter on her own.

We had a food day on November 25th. Breakfast in the morning for the November birthdays, and a pizza party at lunch for our success. We not only had pizza but oreos, rolos, cheese puffs, and more.

Hawktime Plan

Mrs. LaMoore and Mrs. LeMay have 31 wonderful students in our morning advisory. This year, we really want to emphasize service learning and what we gain from it. Welcome to our new blog! Our hope is that we will all learn and grow this year. Share your thoughts!