Anonymous wrote:Senior DS still needs 20 SSL hours. He is chipping away at them...will he really not graduate if he doesn't finish by whenever the cutoff date is? Just looking for real info, and thanks!

Yes, he won't graduate if he doesn't have the hours. I think the deadline is March 31 or April 1, but he should check with the HS SSL coordinator to be sure. Our DC HS is very slow about posting hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid can do it. My kid is in the same situation. I signed him up at Habitat for Humanity and he's working those hours this last semester of a senior year.

Shouldn't he have signed himself up? Are you going to go to college with him, too?

Ha! my kid is going to community college. At the very least I want him to graduate high school. If I had to sign him up for the SSL hours for it to occur. Yes. I signed him up. You're lucky your kid is not a bipolar depressive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is a problem for certain groups (special needs, international students and other transplants) who come into the system late in high school and have trouble getting all their hours because of language barriers or other issues.

Please remember that not all families have the competencies and opportunities that you have. It's ugly to jump on people and judge.

There is a waiver process for transfers.

And they pro-rate the number of hours required.

Just coming here to say the same thing. It is prorated based on when the student transferred to MCPS.


To those saying of course MCPS will let a student graduate without the hours, this is incorrect. Completing SSL hours is a state mandated requirement for graduation. Students will NOT graduate with their class if they do not complete the requirements. At the high school where I teach we seem to have a few students every year who are completing hours the week before graduation.

Oops.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is a problem for certain groups (special needs, international students and other transplants) who come into the system late in high school and have trouble getting all their hours because of language barriers or other issues.

Please remember that not all families have the competencies and opportunities that you have. It's ugly to jump on people and judge.

There is a waiver process for transfers.

And they pro-rate the number of hours required.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous that they would not let a kid graduate due to this requirement.

'

Ridiculous that this kid didn't do the hours in the first place. My DS had over 130 hours all completed prior to starting 9th grade. Its not that hard.

+1. My DS had 85 hours at the start of 8th grade, and we have a bunch more hours to submit.

Spring Break will be a great time for him to finish them off.

Wait, so your kids are earning volunteer hours when teachers are supposed to be teaching?

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is a problem for certain groups (special needs, international students and other transplants) who come into the system late in high school and have trouble getting all their hours because of language barriers or other issues.

Please remember that not all families have the competencies and opportunities that you have. It's ugly to jump on people and judge.

There is a waiver process for transfers.

Don't students earn something like 50 SSL hours just for completing required classes? I think they earn 30 hours in MS (10 hours in each grade), 5 hours for health and 15 hours in HS for a required history class. That means students have 7 years to earn 25 hours outside of required schoolwork.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s fine if you want your child to participate in service, but mandatory for graduation seems extreme. I live in another state and my sons needed service hours for National Honor Society, but that was a club and they could choose to accept the policy or quit.

+1. If school districts want kids to learn about volunteering, then integrate it into the curriculum. Requiring it for graduation is overreach. I find it unlikely that individual schools in MCPS would actually withhold diplomas due to this requirement. I'd like to see an audit. How many kids / families just make their service experience up and turn in the form?

Starting in middle school, it is built into the curriculum; at least one class in each grade level allows you to earn SSL hours. You can even start earning these hours the summer before 6th grade.

But to answer OP's question, he will not graduate without those additional 20 hours; but the school will work with him to make sure he gets them.

OP your kid spring break do it.

20 hours this is not hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is a problem for certain groups (special needs, international students and other transplants) who come into the system late in high school and have trouble getting all their hours because of language barriers or other issues.

Please remember that not all families have the competencies and opportunities that you have. It's ugly to jump on people and judge.

which is likely NOT the case in this situation.

One of mine moved to MCPS from private. They had no community service at said private. MCPS lowered the requirement, we didn't have to do anything. When DC enrolled back to MCPS it was put in his file

Counselors can easily opt out kids who have special needs etc... It's and easy form to fill out they do it all the time.

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous that they would not let a kid graduate due to this requirement.

It is not.

That requirement should be way higher.

There is no reason what so ever a kid any kid can not do this.

Anonymous wrote:
Wow. NASTY people on here today.

Let's hope you never need help when you've done something others find subpar.

NP here. OP isn't asking for help. OP is asking whether the rules apply to her special snowflake. That's not actually a request for help.

Anonymous wrote:Your kid can do it. My kid is in the same situation. I signed him up at Habitat for Humanity and he's working those hours this last semester of a senior year.

Shouldn't he have signed himself up? Are you going to go to college with him, too?