较低的部门 Helping Others

All students in the 较低的部门 participate in a special school-wide community service project, “结束”.” The Wrap In serves those less fortunate around the holiday season. Students write letters and donate gifts to children at the local Redlands Christian Migrant Association. 全年, students also support other community service projects sponsored by the Middle and 上师s, such as donating gently used clothing.

Many 较低的部门 students, with their parents, also participate in family service events. Just before the winter holidays, 家庭, and 教师 travel to the Feeding America and help sort food for those less fortunate. 在春天, 家庭 and 教师 gather to package meals for low-income 家庭 supported by Feeding Children Everywhere to enjoy over Spring Break.

All 较低的部门 grade levels adopt their own unique community service outreach initiatives:

• Pre-Kindergarten – Students participate in school-wide service projects such as the Wrap In and grade level canned food drives.
• Kindergarten – Students support a service project created by a Berkeley 上师 student called Socks for Love. Students form assembly lines and stuff socks with basic needs items, 比如牙膏, 牙刷, 洗发水, 肥皂, 和防晒霜.
• Grade 1 – Students make products, like bookmarks and pencil toppers, to “sell” as part of their economics unit. Customers “pay” with canned food items. Then first graders stuff backpacks to support End 68 Hours of Hunger. 除了, during a letter writing unit, students compile a list of 教师 and staff who touch their lives, 包括教师, 维护, 管家, 还有餐厅员工, and then write them a personal thank you letter.
• Grade 2 – Students bake pumpkin bread and donate loaves to the the 棋牌游戏大全.
• Grade 3 – Students travel to Harbor Chase Senior Center to bring the gift of holiday cheer to the residents. The children sing holiday songs, with the help of our Spanish and 音乐 teachers. Third graders also assemble gift bags that are delivered to the Ronald McDonald House during the holiday season.
• Grade 4 – Students make Halloween gift bags for residents of the Children’s Home. Later in the year, students visit the Redlands Christian Migrant Association. Our children play with the three- and four-year-olds and share snacks. Students also sing to the children in Spanish and read to them.
• Grade 5 – All fifth graders serve on a service council. Councils include the 社区服务 Council, the Chaplain’s Council, 技术, 游乐(校报), 艺术工厂, 图书馆俱乐部, 和大使. Members of the 社区服务 Council help organize a school-wide food drive to benefit the Feeding America food bank and support both a book drive and the Turkey Trot (where students collect basic needs items for The Children’s Home). As a culminating activity, 社区服务 Council members research service organizations and pick one to support with a break sale (bake sale) for 上师 students. In previous years, students supported the Humane Society, Smile Train and One Sight.

The 较低的部门 as a whole responds to the community and the world on an as-need basis as well. When natural disasters occur, the 较低的部门 children are quick to respond to help those in need. Teachers, staff, and administrators guide the children in their desire to assist others.

Students are not only encouraged to serve the needs of the outside community, but also meet routinely as a community to instill a strong sense of social responsibility. These community routines include 较低的部门 convocations, where students learn about core values and people in the world who are making positive differences. Students also participate in Discovery Groups twice a month. Discovery Groups are multi-age, small student groups who meet with a 教师 member other than their classroom teacher. In these groups, a sense of community is further 开发ed beyond a student’s class and grade. Discovery Groups provide students with additional opportunities to embrace habits of service, such as 执行ing random acts of 善良 and being gentle friends.

As our vision states, “Berkeley puts people in the world who make a positive difference.” Through all 较低的部门 community service projects, students learn they truly can fulfill this school vision.