NORTH READING HIGH SCHOOL 189 Park Street North Reading, Massachusetts Telephone Fax

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1 Page 1 of 7 Anthony J. Loprete Principal NORTH READING HIGH SCHOOL 189 Park Street North Reading, Massachusetts Telephone Fax Michael J. Downs Assistant Principal Summer 2017 Dear Members of the Class of 2018, Class of 2019, and Parents: North Reading High School s mission statement indicates our commitment to promoting citizenship in the 21 st century and leadership through service. Citizenship entails both rights and responsibilities, and it is our goal to encourage that sense of social responsibility and leadership amongst our students through our Community Service Program. Therefore, all students in the Classes of 2018 and 2019 will be required to complete 24 hours of community service; this is one component of the World History II, American Civics and Government, and Advanced Placement United States Government & Politics courses. The experience is designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in local service activities where it is hoped that they will mature and develop a better idea of the meaning of both citizenship and leadership through service. The program requirements and parameters are listed below, and it is our hope that students will seek out community service opportunities that are meaningful both to them as individuals and that have a clear benefit to the community. Requirements 1. Acknowledgement/ Plan: Students and parents must sign the form on the back of this packet to acknowledge their understanding of the requirements of this program along with the students community service plan by the end of the first full week of school in October. 2. Hours: Students will complete a minimum of 24 hours of documented community service during the summer and subsequent school year. 3. Essay: Students will submit a typed/word processed reflections essay that describes the activity(ies) performed and should indicate the value of the community service on the student and the community at large that has been affected by the student s service. Students should review the Scoring Rubric included in this packet of information for guidance on how to maximize their score on their Community Service Reflections Essay. 4. Verification Sheets: Students will provide evidence of successful completion of community service activities through written documentation by submitting the Official Verification Form. This form must be filled out accurately and completely for all activities. Parents are not allowed to verify activities; students need to seek out and obtain a signature from the appropriate supervisor other than a parent.

2 Page 2 of 7 Accumulating Hours 5. All students must have completed 24 hours by the May submission deadline, but will have some flexibility in the scheduling of those hours. 6. Options: a. Summer and Fall Window for hours: Hours i. Students must complete at least 12 hours and may complete as many as 18 hours during the Fall Window. ii. The Summer and Fall Window will begin the day after community service is turned in for the Spring Semester (Monday of the second full week in May). b. Winter and Spring Window for hours: 6-12 Hours i. The student must complete all remaining hours to a total of 24 during the Winter and Spring Window. ii. The Winter and Spring Window will begin the day after Fall Submissions are due and will end the first full week of school in May. 7. Teachers will retain all student submissions (essays and verifications sheets) from the Fall Window to assist in verifying the total community service hours for each student. s and Grading 8. Grade: Community Service will represent 15% of the student s 2 nd and 4 th quarter grades respectively, or 6% of the student s final course grade. 9. Submission s: Community service hours, verification sheets, and reflective essays are due: a. by the end of the first full week of school in December for 2 nd quarter b. by the end of the first full week of school in May for 4 th quarter Failure to turn in any part of the requirement by the established deadline will result in a loss of ten points on the student s grade for each day past the deadline. What Qualifies? 10. All work done under the auspices of: a. A non-profit organization with a community minded mission/ purpose (i.e. YMCA) i. Note: Non-profits are easily identifiable by their tax status. All qualifying non-profits will be 501(c)(3) organizations that DO NOT pay taxes on their income. An informational brochure on the organization should indicate this status. ii. If you have a question about the organization you are working for, ask your supervisor if it can demonstrate its 501(c)(3) status. b. Town Government c. Youth Sports Organizations (non-profit only, as defined above. Again, submit proof of 501c3 status for the hours to count) d. School- Work done as a teacher s assistant e. Nursing Home/ Hospital i. Note: Nursing Homes and Hospitals have traditionally been and will continue to be permitted for hours regardless of non-profit/ for profit status.

3 Page 3 of Up to six hours of work per year for any school based: a. Club, sports team or other organization formally recognized by the school b. Note: 6 hours total for all clubs, not for each. This limit does NOT apply to hours for National Honor Society, Interact, Red Cross Club, and Samantha s Harvest. 12. Charity Walks: a. To count, you must prove that you raised funds for the charity. b. A minimum of 10 pledges or $100 raised is required for these hours to count c. For each additional 5 pledges or $50 above the 10 pledge/$100 minimum, students can earn an extra ½ hour of service beyond the actual time spent at the event. This requirement MUST be verified by the supervisor of the event. 13. Religious Institutions: a. All work done for religious organizations has traditionally counted and will continue to count towards community service. 14. Note: Teachers reserve the right to decline service hours if the organization does not meet stated criteria. If you are unsure if your hours will be accepted, you MUST ask your teacher. What Does NOT Qualify? 15. Paid Hours: a. Anything you receive compensation for, be it in actual payments, receipt of goods of any kind, or in decreased enrollment costs 16. Internship Hours: a. If your hours support academic credit you will be receiving at NRHS toward graduation, you cannot count those hours toward community service. 17. Work done at for-profit organizations: a. For example, teaching karate at a private, for profit school will not count. However, teaching Karate at a community center or YMCA will count. b. Note prior exceptions for nursing homes/ hospitals. 18. Work done for a neighbor/ community member without the supervision of a town organization: a. Any work done such as leaf raking, snow shoveling, painting, etc., done for private citizens, cannot count toward community service unless the work is supervised by a town organization such as North Reading Youth Services or Interact. 19. Baking/ Providing Goods for Bake Sales: a. While baking may be accepted for hours by other groups requiring Community Service at the high school, NO Social Studies department community service hours will be awarded for baking/ providing baked goods. 20. Work done during school hours. a. No work done while school is in session at NRHS will count, meaning between 7:30am and 2pm on a regular school day or between 7:30am and 11am on a half day. Where Can I Find Out About Opportunities? 21. Service opportunities for students and additional information about community service is available throughout the year by way of the daily notices and on the high school s website. 22. Students are also encouraged to check periodically with the main office or their Social Studies teachers at the high school for available Community Service learning opportunities.

4 Page 4 of 7 THE PRESIDENT S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD The President s Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 to recognize valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President s Volunteer Service Award Program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. 1 Students who wish to be considered for the service award must have completed a minimum of 100 hours of community service during a 12 month period starting on July 1 and ending on June 30 of the following year. Interested students must contact the Social Studies Curriculum Specialist (not their teacher) no later than the December deadline for Community Service to set up an online account with presidentialserviceawards.gov. Students must then submit evidence of their service (verification sheets) to the Social Studies Curriculum Specialist by the end of the first full week of June. Students wishing to find out more information on the program may direct questions to the Social Studies Curriculum Specialist. AWARD LEVEL HOURS BRONZE SILVER GOLD 250+ Current Social Studies Curriculum Specialist: Mr. Oosting moosting@nrpsk12.org 1 "President's Volunteer Service Award." The President's Volunteer Service Award. Web. 27 May <

5 Page 5 of 7 Reflective Essay Guidelines, Scoring Rubric, and Submission Cover Sheet Each student will submit an essay that is typed and well written. Essays must be organized, follow the appropriate rules of style and grammar, and relay a sense of the value of the service they performed. Essays must also contain anecdotes or detailed accounts of the service experiences that illustrate the impact the service had on the community and/ or on the student. 4- Exceeds Standard Student reflection is clearly written, uses appropriate grammar and style, and is well organized. Reflections demonstrate a high level of student understanding of value of the service performed. Student uses anecdotes or detailed accounts of service in order to express the impact their service had on the community. 3- Meets Standard Student reflection is well written, meets grammar and style requirements, and is organized. Reflections demonstrate that the student understands the basic impact of their service. Student uses no anecdotes or detailed accounts of service in order to express the impact their service had on the community. 2- Developing toward Standard 1- Does not Meet Standard Student reflection is either unorganized or difficult to understand. Reflections demonstrate little connection between service performed and value to the community. Student reflection is poorly written. Reflections demonstrate no connection between service performed and value to the community. Hours Rubric Multiplier Community Service Log Please tally all hours here Organization of Service Hours Total Student Name: Please staple this sheet on top of your essay and verification sheets before submitting for a grade. This must be attached to BOTH the December and May submissions. Failure to attach this form will result in a 10% reduction in grade.

6 Page 6 of 7 Community Service Activity Official Verification Form Student s Name (please print) Brief Description of the Service Activity Performed: Number of Hours of Service Completed: I certify that the student named above has completed the activity and hours described. Name of Supervisor (please print): Position: Supervisor s Phone Number: Supervisor s (please print clearly): Supervisor s Signature Parent/Guardian s Signature The student should make copies of this form if more than one community service activity has been completed to meet the obligations for community service.

7 Page 7 of 7 North Reading High School Community Service Parent/Student Acknowledgement and Planning Form We have read the community service project requirements for the World History II, American Civics and Government, and Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics courses. Parent s/guardian s Signature Student s Signature Student s Name (please print) Service Plan: To ensure your ability to find meaningful service, construct a plan of how you intend to accumulate your 24 hours of service. Service Organization/ Description of Service Number of Hours Total Hours: Students are asked to return this form to their social studies teacher by the end of the first full week of school in October. Any questions regarding Community Service may be directed to the student s Social Studies teacher.