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See Mrs Laube for Student Volunteer Opportunities |
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Mission Statement:
Under the direction of Mrs. Jeanie Laube,
the St. Mark's Upper School and its sibling school Hockaday sponsor an
award-winning, joint Community Service Program. The Community Service Program
provides a rich variety of service opportunities in a coeducational context.
First and foremost, it gets students involved after school hours in
"hands-on" caring for others. St. Mark's Community Service Program
assists the efforts of more than 80 Dallas-area organizations -- homeless
shelters, environmental agencies, senior citizens centers, the SPCA, tutorial
programs, and mentoring programs -- the list of choices covers the social
services spectrum. Equally important, the Community Service Program enables the
boys to interact with girls on an ongoing basis that is not purely social and to
practice leadership and cooperation in a real-world microcosm of the community
at large.
Philosophy:
Both St. Mark's and Hockaday believe
that it is as important to prepare students for lives of good citizenship as it
is to prepare them for the intellectual challenges of college. We seek to
develop the habit of community involvement, to awaken concern for those coping
with hardship, and to encourage a sense of responsibility for our environment.
In both schools there resides the conviction that a meaningful and flexible
program of mandatory community service can raise social awareness, broaden
outlooks, build conscience and maturity, and teach sound leadership values and
skills.
Both schools distinguish between community service and "charity" by
emphasizing the educational, person-to-person nature of service. We believe that
such service will enable the schools to play a beneficial role in the Dallas
community as well as in agencies serving special needs within the city.
Program Requirements:
Students in grades 9-12 are required to
fulfill 15 hours minimum of individual service duty, at 5 hours per trimester.
Ten of these hours must be "hands-on" service. Students in grades 7-8
must participate in two community service class projects (one in the fall and
one in the spring).
Community service differs from school service in that it is external to the
school. Therefore, most service opportunities will occur after school hours, as
well as during evenings, and on the weekends.
Volunteer Guidelines:
1.Appearance -- Personal
appearance is considered important. A standard of dress reflecting participants'
volunteer status is very important. Depending upon the project, blue jeans may
be acceptable. Participants should never wear torn jeans. T-shirts with printing
other than St. Mark's or Hockaday logos will not be acceptable.
2.Responsibility -- Participants should remember that they represent their schools when they are out in the community. The actions of participants are a reflection on our schools.
3.Accountability -- All participant hours will be kept in a file by the director, Mrs. Laube, and parents will be notified each grading period as regards the amount of hours the students have contributed. At the end of the school year, a final report will be mailed home to all parents as regards the students' entire year's volunteer hours. Accountability forms must be submitted within two weeks of service, with the signature of the supervisor of the agency involved.
4.Transportation -- Parents will be asked to sign a permission slip concerning the type of transportation that students are permitted to use in order to attend the various activities.
5.Chaperons -- The Community Service Director will attend all major functions along with various faculty members from both schools. There will be some activities which will not be chaperoned by faculty, but will be monitored through the agencies where the volunteering is done.
6.Enjoy -- Enjoy what you are doing and others will enjoy having your help. Students should remember that the benefit of community service runs both ways: others will benefit from the help of participants and the participants will build their leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. Students will also gain valuable self-knowledge. This self-knowledge helps the student academically through the integration of learning experiences and practical experiences.
You can find projects on our board on Davis Hall. Alternately, if none are available or you are looking for others, you can go to http://www.volunteernorthtexas.org/ for some other opportunities in the Dallas area.
Questions?
The Community Service Director, Mrs.
Jeanie Laube is available to answer questions and offer advice with scheduling,
placement, and any other information needed.
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Dallas, TX 75230 |
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Dallas, TX 75229 |
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[email protected] OR [email protected] |
