Providing Service Opportunities for Students making it a Priority Shelby Bryce- K-12 School counselor Lone tree Community School

Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of their community and has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. Community service or volunteerism enables students to acquire life skills and knowledge, as well as provide a service to those who need it most.  Thank you for joining me for this webinar and hear how we’ve made Service Based Learning a priority at our school and the many benefits we’ve gained as a school and community.

Support from Administrators “Service-based learning has become a staple of the learning taking place at Lone Tree High School. We strive to develop well-rounded students who not only value academics, but also value the importance of serving others and developing soft skills that will benefit them moving forward. We feel that projects such as our Community Service Day help us to make that a reality for our kids.” -Regan Stone- 6-12 Principal “I believe Service Learning and Service Projects are a must within any school environment.  Service Learning is just as important to student learning as our academics.  Teaching and showing students the value of giving back to others in their community is a key skill for today’s world.” –Ken Crawford, Superintendent

Background: 2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017 School Years Olweus Anti-Bullying Program MS/HS- Class Meetings twice a month -4 Olweus Rules, Bullying Circle, Cyber Bullying, Disability Awareness, Digital Footprint, Being an UpStander, Character, Grit, etc. 3 Big Events- Community Service Day, Self-Care/Stress Management, Olweus Olympics This year: 2017/18 3 Big Events Focus on Service Based Learning

Community Service Day www.postermywall.com

Service Opportunities… more than Just One Day! “As most of you know, we are in our 4th year of implementation of our Olweus Anti-Bullying program. We’ve been working hard over the years to improve the culture of our school and the character of our students and staff. This year, we are focusing on continuing to build our school culture through service-based learning and providing students with opportunities to reflect on those experiences. Throughout the year, each Olweus classroom will take part in at least one half-day of service work and one half-day of character/culture building with their homeroom. You are receiving this letter to inform you that your son/daughter’s class will be leaving the building in the upcoming weeks to take part in organized volunteering. Details are below. Students and staff chaperones will be taking a bus to the location and eating a packed lunch in a nearby area. When they arrive back to school, they will be taking part in some teambuilding activities in the classroom with their group.” Service Opportunities… more than Just One Day! Locations: Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Ronald McDonald House Johnson County Crisis Center Crowded Closet

“Some of my best high school memories are going to be these days, getting outside, doing work for others, being away from our phones, and just having fun while we make other people happy.” DM- freshmen at LT “I think we are so lucky to get to do stuff like this- I am always telling friends from other schools and they are jealous. It’s just awesome to get out of the school, do good for others, and learn about the world outside of our normal life.” AB- sophomore at LT

“Too often people say, ‘I really should volunteer somewhere,’ We are teaching our students at Lone Tree to stop saying ‘I should’ and get out there and volunteer. Sometimes people just don’t know how to get started. We’re empowering Lone Tree Lions to be difference makers, go-getters, and good citizens.” LT staff member

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=community%20service%20day Questions? Thank you so much for joining me today! Shelby Bryce sbryce@lone-tree.k12.ia.us