Service Hours
Service Hours Requirement
Students are required to complete thirty service hours a year. At the end of each trimester, students must turn in a service hour log with at least ten completed hours. At least five service hours each trimester must be completed outside of school. Any extra hours will be rolled over and counted towards next trimester. For example, if a student turns in fifteen hours at the end of trimester one, then they are only required to turn in five hours at the end of trimester two.
What Are Service Hours?
Explanation
Service hours are time when students work with individuals through a non-profit agency, church, or organization that cares for the poor, hungry, disadvantaged, children (coaching or tutoring), the environment, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, or individuals with special needs.
Examples:
Service at Mass
Soup kitchen
Facilities for elderly or disabled
Senior community centers
Coaching youth sports or tutoring
Religious education
Environmental projects that care for God's creation
Fund-raising activities like Sunday sales, Holiday Boutique, etc.
Not Valid Service Hours
Family help is not considered valid hours because family help is a given. Students should help their parents, aunt, cousins, grandparents etc. Students who received some kind of compensation (money, medal, award, etc.) is not valid. Volunteering at a for-profit business is not service hours. If you are unsure if an activity would count as service hours please ask Mr. Q
Examples of Not Valid Service Hours
A job.
Helping out a parent's business (Unless it is a charity or non-profit)
Doing laundry, cleaning rooms, or any other household core for your family.
Service Hours Log
Service Hour Reflection
Activity 1: Service Hour Reflection
At the end of each trimester student s must submit a service hours reflection with their service hour logs. They must write 1-2 pages MLA format reflecting on your service hour experiences throughout the the following two prompts:
During my service hours I....
Because of my service hours, I....
Here are some other questions to ask yourself if you get stuck:
Did anything about your community involvement surprise you? If so, what?
What did you do that seemed to be effective or ineffective?
How does your understanding of the community change as a result of your participation in this project?
How can you continue your involvement with this group or social issue?
How can you educate others or raise awareness about this group or social issue?
What are the most difficult or satisfying parts of your work? Why?
Talk about any disappointments or successes of your project. What did you learn from it?
How are your values expressed through your community work?
What sorts of things make you feel comfortable or uncomfortable when you are working in the community? Why?