FCPS Community Service Requirement for 6th Graders

[Anonymous]

Just got a note from my child's school stating that 6th graders are required to complete 5 hours of community service. Honestly, this ticks me off. We do a good bit of community service as a family, so I am certainly not against my son doing this. However, we teach that you should serve others simply because it's the right thing to do -- not for any credit or reward or recognition. Plus, I don't think it's the school's (government's) place to mandate non-academic activities and teach values. Students should not be graded on pulling weeds or picking up trash.

If your kids had to complete this requirement, what kind of community service did they do? How was it monitored/tracked by the school?

[Anonymous]

If the purpose of public school is to create productive citizens, I'd argue this is exactly what schools SHOULD be mandating.

My 8th grade students are required to do 8 hours (2 hours per quarter). The majority help at their former elementary school or help the office staff at school with stuffing envelopes or cutting things out.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they'll have to do it in middle school, too. They often do activities in school, like recycling, clean up, and planting trees on school grounds, to put towards their service hours. You can sign off on their community service activities you do as a family.

You are already teaching them to serve for the sake of service, and in this case you can explain that a lot of families don't practice this, so the school asks everyone to record some service just to encourage/teach those who wouldn't do it otherwise. It doesn't change what you're teaching.

Once they get to middle school, there are usually after-school clubs that are service oriented, as well as organized opportunities in the community.

[Anonymous]

When I was in high school, and going for an advanced diploma which had community service requirements (I neglected to note there was a minimum GPA as well, which I did not have) I spent a summer working at a local nursing home. Mostly assisting in the game room, helping residents with their bingo cards, wheeling them to lunch, things like that. Even had a standing appointment with one guy who got taken outside to smoke a cigar once a day, it was his vice and they allowed it. I'd sit near him while he smoked, ask me where his family was (he was aging and thought I was one of his sons), etc. Sadly, he passed away near the end of the summer.

I suppose the most "interesting" day was when the staff sent me home. I was a high school athlete, relatively tall and in good shape, and they had a bunch of girls coming in from one of the local foster houses/centers to do their own community service work. I wasn't allowed to be around.

It was certainly a worthwhile experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they'll have to do it in middle school, too. They often do activities in school, like recycling, clean up, and planting trees on school grounds, to put towards their service hours. You can sign off on their community service activities you do as a family.

You are already teaching them to serve for the sake of service, and in this case you can explain that a lot of families don't practice this, so the school asks everyone to record some service just to encourage/teach those who wouldn't do it otherwise. It doesn't change what you're teaching.

Once they get to middle school, there are usually after-school clubs that are service oriented, as well as organized opportunities in the community.

I disagree that a community service requirement doesn't change what parents may be teaching. I also think children should be taught to serve others without some kind of reward. We teach that good deeds are their own reward and one should not boast or draw attention or try to take credit for service to others.

[Anonymous]

There's no reward. It's like when they take strings or band. They have to record their practice hours. You're teaching them that one has to practice to get better at things. The teacher has no way of knowing if they practiced, so you sign off. Surely you're clarifying this to your kids.

Of course you teach them that normally one does service and good deeds without boasting or calling attention to it. This is just documented because the schools are trying to encourage service, because a lot of people do not do service or teach anything to their kids. Isn't this obvious?

[Anonymous]

Our school doesn't do this unless it's a very recent change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no reward. It's like when they take strings or band. They have to record their practice hours. You're teaching them that one has to practice to get better at things. The teacher has no way of knowing if they practiced, so you sign off. Surely you're clarifying this to your kids.

Of course you teach them that normally one does service and good deeds without boasting or calling attention to it. This is just documented because the schools are trying to encourage service, because a lot of people do not do service or teach anything to their kids. Isn't this obvious?

But band and strings are not required parts of the FCPS curriculum. I see what OP is saying. My issue is that the county is requiring students to do something, but not providing the opportunity to do it. This is different than anything else the students are required to do to pass a class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't do this unless it's a very recent change.

Are you FCPS? We are being told it's a FCPS requirement.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if OP could say that performing a service for personal gain or credit is against their religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reward. It's like when they take strings or band. They have to record their practice hours. You're teaching them that one has to practice to get better at things. The teacher has no way of knowing if they practiced, so you sign off. Surely you're clarifying this to your kids.

Of course you teach them that normally one does service and good deeds without boasting or calling attention to it. This is just documented because the schools are trying to encourage service, because a lot of people do not do service or teach anything to their kids. Isn't this obvious?

But band and strings are not required parts of the FCPS curriculum. I see what OP is saying. My issue is that the county is requiring students to do something, but not providing the opportunity to do it. This is different than anything else the students are required to do to pass a class.

The school year hasn't even started. How do you know they won't provide the opportunity to do it? My school required that the hours be done within the building, helping the janitors, teachers, office staff, cafeteria workers, etc.

[Anonymous]

I had our DC's do it at church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if OP could say that performing a service for personal gain or credit is against their religion.

Only if it truly is. Does working as a teacher, Doctor, pastor, firefighter or other community helper really violate her religion?

Student Service Learning isn't about community service. It's about learning how to identify needs in your community, to assess your own abilities and see how you can help, to arrange activities and follow through on commitments. The ones providing the service are the organizations who welcome teenagers and allow them to work alongside their regular volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't do this unless it's a very recent change.

Our two elementaries do not either, unless it is new.

I would be very put off by it too OP and my kids volunteer and do other things that would fulfill the requirement.

It would irritate me in the same way mandatory reading logs irritate me (my kids read for pleasure).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't do this unless it's a very recent change.

Our two elementaries do not either, unless it is new.

I would be very put off by it too OP and my kids volunteer and do other things that would fulfill the requirement.

It would irritate me in the same way mandatory reading logs irritate me (my kids read for pleasure).

I don't look at service requirements like reading logs. They are, or can be, requirements, part of the required curriculum. Many high schools require service hours. Along with civics classes, service requirements should be a requirement to get a diploma, as part of learning to be a good citizen.