Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know how this is possible. They give out SSL hours like they are candy on Halloween! My 8th grader already has enough to graduate and he’s barely even tried!

Do share your knowledge then of how it was so easy for your kid--where they got the hours and how. I have a middle schooler, and unless I drive them around to volunteer opportunities, I'm not sure how you would get the 75 done in middle school.

I don't have a full recollection of all the hours - but all the kids got like 10 hours for Outdoor Education. They get some for other in-school events too, not sure exactly what they are because I haven't been there for those. My son participated in some bake-sales and a club at school to get some. He also volunteered as a CIT helping with little kids at a camp over the summer - got like 30 hours that way. He did a film camp with our rec center (so this was actually a very affordable camp) and got like 20 hours for that because they produced a film on a local non-profit / international food market. We packed food once or twice for Tommy's Pantry. A friend of ours organized 5-6 kids to do a local trash pickup a few times too. That helped him get maybe 8 hours. He also referees for Takoma Soccer, but they offer either payment or SSL - so he has chosen to get paid instead, but that would rack up the hours big time. The county has a massive database with a range of options. It's really not hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who wants to get these hours completed can. There are plenty of places for tweens/teens to volunteer between Maryland/DC/Virginia, including plenty that can be accessed by public transportation(bus, train, combination). There are plenty of in school opportunities between ES/MS/HS. There are even virtual opportunities. The fact that folks on here are complaining is further evidence of kids being too coddled.

It’s forced child labor. It shouldn’t be a requirement, and the parents on here defending this policy don’t have working brains in their heads.

Is homework also forced labor? Maybe school in general is??

Homework is not the same as community service. Courts use community service as a punishments. Summer camps pay camp counselors unless it’s for student service hours then it’s free labor. And since the state requires it, it is forced labor.

But we’re going to give it a shiny feel good title and call it “student service learning”! That makes it real nice.

And yes, my kids are finished with their hours. I had to drive them all over the county and beyond to get the hours done. We had to buy materials and food for some of these hours. I’m privileged to have the resources to do so but I can see how many families don’t and this wonderful student service learning is actually a burden.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
glad that worked for your kid, but middle schools don't have slots for 900 kids to volunteer regularly in their media centers. also note that many kids work for pay by the time they're in high school and don't have the time to volunteer coaching 10U.

Why ask if all you are going to do is shit on the response?

why say it's "easy" if it's clearly a specific situation for a privileged kid.

I never said anything was easy. I think you're mad at someone else. I was just responding to a question that was asked. I'm currently unemployed and live in a crappy townhouse. But I would move mountains for my daughter. This is parenting over privilege. Go grouse somewhere else.

It's an anonymous website. No one knows who posts, but yes people are definitely saying it's "easy" to get SSL hours. And while I'm sorry you're unemployed and live in what you consider a "crappy townhouse" but not having a job gives you ample hours to move hours for your kid.

I don’t even know how this is possible. They give out SSL hours like they are candy on Halloween! My 8th grader already has enough to graduate and he’s barely even tried!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who wants to get these hours completed can. There are plenty of places for tweens/teens to volunteer between Maryland/DC/Virginia, including plenty that can be accessed by public transportation(bus, train, combination). There are plenty of in school opportunities between ES/MS/HS. There are even virtual opportunities. The fact that folks on here are complaining is further evidence of kids being too coddled.

It’s forced child labor. It shouldn’t be a requirement, and the parents on here defending this policy don’t have working brains in their heads.

Is homework also forced labor? Maybe school in general is??

You really don’t understand the difference between receiving an education (for your own benefit) and working (for the benefit of someone other than yourself) for free?

Forcing kids to do community service to get an educational credential is bogus from the get-go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
glad that worked for your kid, but middle schools don't have slots for 900 kids to volunteer regularly in their media centers. also note that many kids work for pay by the time they're in high school and don't have the time to volunteer coaching 10U.

Why ask if all you are going to do is shit on the response?

why say it's "easy" if it's clearly a specific situation for a privileged kid.

I never said anything was easy. I think you're mad at someone else. I was just responding to a question that was asked. I'm currently unemployed and live in a crappy townhouse. But I would move mountains for my daughter. This is parenting over privilege. Go grouse somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
glad that worked for your kid, but middle schools don't have slots for 900 kids to volunteer regularly in their media centers. also note that many kids work for pay by the time they're in high school and don't have the time to volunteer coaching 10U.

Why ask if all you are going to do is shit on the response?

why say it's "easy" if it's clearly a specific situation for a privileged kid.

Anonymous wrote:
glad that worked for your kid, but middle schools don't have slots for 900 kids to volunteer regularly in their media centers. also note that many kids work for pay by the time they're in high school and don't have the time to volunteer coaching 10U.

Why ask if all you are going to do is shit on the response?

glad that worked for your kid, but middle schools don't have slots for 900 kids to volunteer regularly in their media centers. also note that many kids work for pay by the time they're in high school and don't have the time to volunteer coaching 10U.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who wants to get these hours completed can. There are plenty of places for tweens/teens to volunteer between Maryland/DC/Virginia, including plenty that can be accessed by public transportation(bus, train, combination). There are plenty of in school opportunities between ES/MS/HS. There are even virtual opportunities. The fact that folks on here are complaining is further evidence of kids being too coddled.

It’s forced child labor. It shouldn’t be a requirement, and the parents on here defending this policy don’t have working brains in their heads.

Is homework also forced labor? Maybe school in general is??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know how this is possible. They give out SSL hours like they are candy on Halloween! My 8th grader already has enough to graduate and he’s barely even tried!

Do share your knowledge then of how it was so easy for your kid--where they got the hours and how. I have a middle schooler, and unless I drive them around to volunteer opportunities, I'm not sure how you would get the 75 done in middle school.

My kid picked up 110 hours volunteering in the media center during middle school. Now she coaches 10U and picks up 64 hours a season.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who wants to get these hours completed can. There are plenty of places for tweens/teens to volunteer between Maryland/DC/Virginia, including plenty that can be accessed by public transportation(bus, train, combination). There are plenty of in school opportunities between ES/MS/HS. There are even virtual opportunities. The fact that folks on here are complaining is further evidence of kids being too coddled.

It’s forced child labor. It shouldn’t be a requirement, and the parents on here defending this policy don’t have working brains in their heads.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t even know how this is possible. They give out SSL hours like they are candy on Halloween! My 8th grader already has enough to graduate and he’s barely even tried!

Do share your knowledge then of how it was so easy for your kid--where they got the hours and how. I have a middle schooler, and unless I drive them around to volunteer opportunities, I'm not sure how you would get the 75 done in middle school.

I don’t even know how this is possible. They give out SSL hours like they are candy on Halloween! My 8th grader already has enough to graduate and he’s barely even tried!

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who wants to get these hours completed can. There are plenty of places for tweens/teens to volunteer between Maryland/DC/Virginia, including plenty that can be accessed by public transportation(bus, train, combination). There are plenty of in school opportunities between ES/MS/HS. There are even virtual opportunities. The fact that folks on here are complaining is further evidence of kids being too coddled.

People just love to complain. It's been pointed out several times in this thread that there are lots of virtual and in-school or after-school options available but this doesn't fit with their complaint, so they ignore.

I think the truth is that this is a simple and engaging activity for kids who set out to get the work done in the first few years of the assignment (middle school years). At that age, most kids have some time to spare and they feel like their small efforts are worth while. It's also a good lesson in setting to work on long-term goals rather than procrastinating years and years. If kids procrastinate until junior year in HS then it competes with many other worthy activities and by then, kids are jaded enough that they don't see the value. So no wonder they see it as less-than-useful time-suck. They should still fulfill the requirement, of course, but perhaps they should recognize that it was their own procrastination that made it such a burden.

The complain-y parents here probably have kids who dropped the ball in middle school and now they share their kid's view that it as a huge burden against their busy HS junior/senior lives.