Service Learning

1. Service Learning Middle School Options 2013-2014

2. …is an opportunity for you to learn about and connect with the community around you. Four things you need to know: EVERYONE is involved. We meet Wednesdays, twice a month for 85 minutes. You get the privilege of choosing the group to which you contribute your skills. Choose based on your skills and interests; ask where can I make a difference? Each quarter, each MS student performs 3+ hours of community service. This is NOT for a relative, or for pay, or for trade. It is a free gift you give to your community. Service Learning

3. Youth 4 Youth Youth for Youth will provide opportunities for students to get involved in multiple communities by helping to put a message of hope to those less fortunate and help young people off the streets and into places of safety. Y4Y will accomplish this by being actively involved in Hope4Youth, Toys for Tots, American Heart, and Gillette Children's Hospital. You will need to spend more than the required 3 hours in community service and $20 required for two shirts (Y4Y & RedOut <more info to come when you join the group>).

4. A Book A Day! Do you have a passion for reading? Do you want to share this passion with young children? Join A Book A Day for the chance to fulfill this dream! We will be going to Handke Center in Elk River to read to preschool age children multiple times throughout the school year. We will make books, discuss literacy issues and other fun activities!

5. Sprucing up Spectrum S.up.S When you walk down the halls of your school what do you see... Blank walls! Want to use your artistic ability and creative mind to decorate our school? We are looking for students who are interested in creating an atmosphere of positive school spirit through designing and painting murals around our campus. *You will be required to stay after school one Wednesday a month.

6. H.A.L.O.Healthy, Active, Lifestyle, Outreach • This Year we will be partnering with the Special Olympics and other Community Service Organizations to promote HALO. • Our goal is to provide students with an opportunity to teach and learn from the service learning experiences we provide them. • We want our students to come out these experiences with a positive, healthy attitude and with utmost respect for the people and the organizations that we are partnering with. • This group will not be doing an Active Youth Day.

7. Make a Joyful Noise • Brightening the lives of others, • one melody at a time • Why: Music has been shown to have a positive impact on human emotion and behavior. Make a Joyful Noise gives students the opportunity to use their musical talents to serve their community through performance. • Who: Any band students who are either participating in Intermediate Band or Sting Ensemble this year or who participated in band (or this group) last year. • Activities: • Musicians work in pairs and trios to prepare music for performance • Perform in the community: Guardian Angels, perform seasonal music for Salvation Army Kettles • Travel to a Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis to play for patients • Research how music affects the mind and emotions • Research and write program notes for performances • Students must have their own instrument and will need • to practice outside of class. Any time spent practicing with • your partner(s) counts toward community servicehours.

8. Masters of Inquiry through Nature Topics We will be in charge of : Recycling at Spectrum High School and answer the question “How much paper are we keeping out of the landfill by choosing to recycle?” We will be doing things like : Investigating water quality of our local bodies of water and learning about the technology used to accomplish that goal. Guest Speakers Field Trips

9. Five Thousand Smiles • Impacting lives through good deeds of kindness and appreciation • Our goal is to reach 5,000 random acts of kindness by the end of the school year. One smile or random act of kindness can make a difference in the lives of many.

10. Did you see the book nook under the stairs? THAT’S US!! Book Smarts Sorting! Spreading reading! Interviewing! Repairing! Encouraging others to read! Recommending! Stamping! Networking! • If we build it, they will come! Finding quotes! Collecting! Buying! Researching! Shelving!

11. Helping Hands for the Elderly (Middle School Group) This service learning group will work closely with Guardian Angels in a variety of ways. The goal of this group is to create understanding and awareness between generations and provide support to the Guardian Angels Care Center. Students will create a meaningful relationship with this facility and understand existing and emerging elder issues. Understand historical and cultural changes that have taken place during a typical resident’s lifespan. Students will learn about the role of the elderly in various cultures. • Some of the activities may include: • Activity Hours with seniors (games, visiting) • Event Support • Bingo Nights • Decorating / creating for Guardian Angels social events • Birthday committee for resident • Supply Drive • Creating crafts and displays for resident common areas • Creative, caring minds welcome • MUCH more… • Opportunities to fulfill additional hours • spent outside of the classroom available.

12. R. A. D. (Reachingout Andunderstanding Disabilities) • This service learning group will raise awareness and partner with various organizations to benefit people with disabilities. • This group will also identify personal constructs concerning cultures, personal schemas, and traditional paradigms as they relate to disabilities.