Ridgeview Charter Middle School
Service as Action Update - 2017-2018
Building Community and 10,000 Hours of Kids Helping Kids
This newsletter provides an overview of our school's service as action program and explains our 2017-18 community service initiative. For RCS Panthers, service is deeply personal; it allows us to develop our interests, deepens understanding of classroom learning, and builds a community of students who are focused on giving back.
The focus for this year's Service as Action project came from a school-wide survey administered to students in early August. When we asked student about the extent that they serve others, approximately 70% of the student body reported that they volunteered for less than 3 hours of community service last year. When students were asked what sort of community service activities were of interest to them, students indicated that they wanted to serve others through participation in student clubs, school-wide events, and after school tutoring. A large percentage of students even expressed an interest in outreach projects for others on a local, national and global level.
This year's school-wide project builds community through action-- student-to-student service. Our desired outcome is to encourage the students in our school to complete more service hours and to encourage each student to cultivate their interests in ways that serve other students. Our evidence of action is for every student in the school to log their time with a school-wide goal of 10,000 hours of service by March 31st, 2018. For a student body of 1131 students to reach this collective goal, each student will need to log between 8-15 hours before the end of March.
This year's project has two distinct phases:
Phase 1: Understanding the Value of Service:
In August and September, Ridgeview students participated in a school-wide reading project that established the rationale and mindset for student-to-student community service. Every student in the school pledged to collectively log 10,000 hours of action that can include direct and indirect service to other students.
Phase 2: Kids Helping Kids through Afterschool Clubs and School-wide Events
From September to May, students perform service through afterschool clubs, school-wide events, and lead outreach efforts. Our Ridgeview Panthers actively identify the needs of others, cultivate personal interests, and build positive peer relationships by giving back to the community.
The first section of this newsletter will outline phase one of our project "Understanding the Value of Service." The second section of this newsletter will outline phase two of our project "Kids Helping Kids."
Phase 1: Learning about Service and Community through a School-wide Reading Initiative
Growing Community
Ridgeview students joined one-book communities across the nation to understand how authentic community can be created. By reading Paul Fleishman's Seed Folks and engaging in text-based discussions, students grew to understand the story of a unique community where individuals use their gifts and talents to make a difference in the lives of others.
Through this year-long initiative, students will go about the work of addressing challenges that other students encounter; they will develop their own skills and cultivate interests and talents. Through 10,000 hours of service, we will collectively answer the call to serve others who are in need, and students will impact peers on a local, national, and global scale.
Celebrating each other's talents and skills.
Developing an understanding of ourselves.
Celebrating everyone's unique contributions.
RCS students speak about community & service....
"The helpfulness and the kindness of others makes a place a community."
"People who get along make a neighborhood a community. All people despite differences come together which represents the people, how they work together, and how they provide protection for each other."
"People help each other and care for each other when their neighbor is in need."
Phase 2: Action, Student Clubs, & School-wide Service Events
The work of four student clubs are featured in this newsletter and include:
- The No-Place for Hate Club: Identity and Advocacy
- The Green Team: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
- The Garden Club: Growing and Giving
- Compass Kids: Peer Tutoring
Four school-based events that focus on the Kids Helping Kids are either in progress or planned for later in the Fall/early Winter. School-wide service events are outlined below:
- Hispanic Diversity & Outreach October 2017
- Adopt an AVID School (Houston) November 2017
- Blankets for Children in Crisis January 2017
- Valentines Cards for Children February 2017
The work that our students are doing to serve and support other students are described below.
THE NO PLACE FOR HATE CLUB: Identity & Advocacy
One of the main goals at RCS is for ALL students to feel safe and respected. Students believe that it is impossible for a student to learn if the environment at school is not welcoming and secure. To this end, the No Place for Hate club sponsored "Ally Week" from September 25-29 which was used as a launch point for a month of "Ally Week" activities. Students invited other students to sign the Resolution of Respect, taught others about the five ways to be an ally, completed their individual pledges, and shared Ally tips over the morning announcements. The Rainbow Coalition club's LGBTQ support day was a spin off, and students designated October 20th as a special day. More than 45% of the students at the school wore purple to show that they stand behind their peers. The No Place for Hate Club is led by Mrs. Connor and it meets on Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15.
THE GREEN TEAM: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Take Action: Recycling and Educating Peers
Recognize when to go paperless.
Know when to reuse resources.
When in doubt, recycle.
THE GARDEN CLUB: Growing, Harvesting, & Donating
Take Action: Cultivate our Gardens !
"Hands On Ridgeview" was a huge success! Forty-three people volunteered time on October 21st. Students helping students to create a beautiful campus.
COMPASS Peer Tutoring
Take Action: Provide Academic Support to Peers
School-wide Event in October: Hispanic Diversity & Outreach
Led by Mrs. Good, families at the school sponsored a Hispanic Heritage Dinner for all Ridgeview families. At this event, parents brought homemade meals to serve and students volunteered with their parents to pull off the event. The event was a celebration of Hispanic culture that unified the school community.
On Friday, October 27, Ridgeview will hold its annual Hispanic Heritage Program. At this event, students will share original writing, arts, songs, and music with the student body. Students will collect $1 donations from other students to contribute to United for Puerto Rico, a non-profit group supporting hurricane relief efforts.
Take Action: Educating and Celebrating Diversity
School-wide Event in February: Valentines for Children
Ridgeview Charter Middle School
By The Numbers
1131 Students
16% English Language Learners
10% Students with Disabilities
29% Gifted Learners
RCS is a Title 1 School
Email: vonbiberstei@fultonschools.org
Website: http://school.fultonschools.org/ms/ridgeview/Pages/default.aspx
Location: 5340 South Trimble Road, Sandy Springs, GA, United States
Phone: 404-843-7710
Twitter: @CLCRidgeview