Anonymous
01/05/2025 15:56
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:We had a lot of opportunities in MS, but very few in HS.
In HS individual should be able to find and make their own. Giving back to the community and volunteering.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 15:55
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.
If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.
My dc has hundreds of hours and doesn’t turn them in to my frustration.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 15:38
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
My 13 year old was an unpaid CIT for a Rockville City camp in our neighborhood. No chauffeuring, no cost. Hopefully he was helpful.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 15:34
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
We had a lot of opportunities in MS, but very few in HS.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 14:47
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
Considering kids get like 20-30 hours in MS just from class this is not exactly hard. Kid could volunteer to help at PTA related activities at their school or their old ES. They could use all that summer free to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen alongside a parent volunteer. They could offer to stay after school on activity bus days to help reshelve books for the media center. Etc etc etc… Have you or your kids even check the Montgomery County volunteer website?
It’s not the folks who’ve completed the hours who need to check their privilege.
Of course I have checked the Montgomery county volunteer website (although the point is that that the kids are supposed to be doing the planning not the parents.) Most of the activities involve me driving my kid 30 minutes each way to help my kid volunteer one hour or doing something expensive like buying ingredients to cook food at home and drive my kid to drop off a homeless shelter. Yes there are school based activities but as other have pointed out, with 800 other middle schoolers, those opportunities go quickly.
As for a parent taking off during the summer to volunteer alongside their kid at a homeless shelter, most parents have to work during the summer…check your privilege indeed.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 14:32
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.
the requirement isn't 130. it is 85...
The 130 is referencing the poster who said her kids got 130 hours of SSL by the time they finished middle school. I don’t know any kids who have those kids of hours, although I know some churches and temples provide SSL hours for regular volunteering during religious services.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 14:29
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
Considering kids get like 20-30 hours in MS just from class this is not exactly hard. Kid could volunteer to help at PTA related activities at their school or their old ES. They could use all that summer free to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen alongside a parent volunteer. They could offer to stay after school on activity bus days to help reshelve books for the media center. Etc etc etc… Have you or your kids even check the Montgomery County volunteer website?
It’s not the folks who’ve completed the hours who need to check their privilege.
The media center doesn’t want all that help. My kid tried to find something like this after school and there are very very few such opportunities. Your other suggestion involves the parent taking off work for weeks to volunteer with her. I check the emails and websites weekly and it’s honestly a pain because most of the options require an hour of driving for an hour or two of service credit. We’ve been doing cooking at home for the homeless shelters but that’s also a pain — not many take home cooked food unless yyou can cook for 200+ (which we can’t) and it costs me a ton of money to buy the supplies for the cooking.
Basically unless your kid has an in with a teacher that is willing to sign off on a sheet to let them pretend to help after school, it’s a big pain to get those hours.
My oldest got a ton of hours because she ran a club for younger kids after school….but again that’s the kind of thing that only a couple of kids per school can do. Each MS has like 2000 kids….they don’t have 200,000 hours on volunteer work for them.
Agreed. The parent who suggests the kid volunteer all summer in a shelter or a soup kitchen alongside a parent just proves the point that the kids who load up easily on SSL hours are the ones with stay at home parents/rich parents who can take off work to do this stuff with them. And those kids would likely get service opps anyway to pad their resumes for elite colleges even without McpS requiring this.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 12:36
Subject: Re:Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
You would be surprised how many middle school students don't do the required work to get the hours for the embedded SSL hours in class.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 12:02
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
I know a couple of middle schoolers who met and exceeded their SSL hours over one summer by establishing a rescue or maybe it was fostering. The entire situation was a bunch of Huey. The parents were the ones who cared for the animals and the kids were off at the pool all summer long. At the end of it everybody was excited for the children because they had over 200 hours and just one summer.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 11:27
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
Considering kids get like 20-30 hours in MS just from class this is not exactly hard. Kid could volunteer to help at PTA related activities at their school or their old ES. They could use all that summer free to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen alongside a parent volunteer. They could offer to stay after school on activity bus days to help reshelve books for the media center. Etc etc etc… Have you or your kids even check the Montgomery County volunteer website?
It’s not the folks who’ve completed the hours who need to check their privilege.
The media center doesn’t want all that help. My kid tried to find something like this after school and there are very very few such opportunities. Your other suggestion involves the parent taking off work for weeks to volunteer with her. I check the emails and websites weekly and it’s honestly a pain because most of the options require an hour of driving for an hour or two of service credit. We’ve been doing cooking at home for the homeless shelters but that’s also a pain — not many take home cooked food unless yyou can cook for 200+ (which we can’t) and it costs me a ton of money to buy the supplies for the cooking.
Basically unless your kid has an in with a teacher that is willing to sign off on a sheet to let them pretend to help after school, it’s a big pain to get those hours.
My oldest got a ton of hours because she ran a club for younger kids after school….but again that’s the kind of thing that only a couple of kids per school can do. Each MS has like 2000 kids….they don’t have 200,000 hours on volunteer work for them.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 10:16
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.
the requirement isn't 130. it is 85...
Anonymous
01/05/2025 09:56
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
Considering kids get like 20-30 hours in MS just from class this is not exactly hard. Kid could volunteer to help at PTA related activities at their school or their old ES. They could use all that summer free to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen alongside a parent volunteer. They could offer to stay after school on activity bus days to help reshelve books for the media center. Etc etc etc… Have you or your kids even check the Montgomery County volunteer website?
It’s not the folks who’ve completed the hours who need to check their privilege.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 07:51
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.
Storm not expected until very late/overnight. Either way, I would examine whether or not your kid wants to go and/or will gain true, meaningful service for the activity. Decide from there.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 07:28
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps
I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.
Anonymous
01/05/2025 03:11
Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.
It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.
There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.
Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.
+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps