Service-Learning in Calvert County

Sections:

2. Fact Sheet

3. Fellows

Contact the designated MSSA Regional Coordinator with questions, or to update information on this page.

1. Service-Learning Contact Information

2. Service-Learning Fact Sheet

Service-learning is connected to reading and science required courses at the middle schools in grade7. The main focus of the program involves environmental education and service-learning targeting the Chesapeake Bay. The program in the required courses is roughly equivalent to 75 hours.

Breakdown:
7th grade reading/language arts (5 hours)
7th grade science (70 hours)

Transfer Policy: There are two provisions for students to fulfill this requirement. First, a student may choose to complete 75 hours of volunteer service to the community; the hours are prorated based on when the student enters the school system. Grades 8 or 9: 75 hours; 10: 60 hours; 11: 45 hours; 12: 30 hours (1st semester); 12: 0 hours (2nd semester). The second option is to complete the preparation and reflection phases of the service-learning requirement through an independent study resource booklet. Students choosing this option complete the following number of hours of the action phase through volunteer service to the community. Grades 8 or 9: 30 hours; 10: 25 hours; 11: 20 hours; 12: 15 hours (1st semester); 12: 0 hours (2nd semester). Students transferring out of Calvert County during or after middle school receive a form stamped with one of the following: service-learning 100% complete, 75%, 50% or 25% complete.

Reporting: service-learning is recorded on the permanent record.

3. Teacher Fellows (see overview)

Students in the Northern High School Key Club serve the community in a variety of ways from acting as student aides at the elementary school to establishing and sponsoring service clubs a two of the county's middle schools. The Key Club is the primary vehicle for transfer students to Northern to meet their service-learning graduation requirement.

Linda D. Bailey, 2000, Windy Hill Middle School (Science), 410-257-1560, bails@hotmail.com

In this service-learning activity, students and the teacher were involved in an aluminum can recycling drive. The first period classes held a contest in which the class that brought in the most cans by weight won a juice and doughnut party to recognize and celebrate their success.

• Meet a recognized need in the community: The collected aluminum cans were given to the local recycling center. The service project helped to reduce the amount of aluminum waste in the landfills. The class determined this need by investigating several community problems and evaluating possible solutions.
• Achieve curricular objectives through service-learning: Skills such as planning, following through, teamwork, and organization skills were enhanced throughout the activity. Students were involved in providing leadership and direction, communicating the plan through poster advertisements and announcements, educating the student body about the need for recycling, collecting cans, measuring, and calculating the results.
• Reflect throughout service-learning experience: Students discussed the status of the project and subprojects. They discussed problems and possible solutions. At the end, students noted improvements they could have made to avoid some of the problems or challenges they faced.
• Develop student responsibility: Students were responsible for planning and implementing the project.
• Establish community partnerships: Community partnerships were established with the local recycling center where the cans were taken. Also, can tabs were recycled and the money was donated to a local homeless shelter.
• Plan ahead for the service learning: The teacher created partnership with the local recycling center and educated selected students on the importance of recycling to lay the groundwork for the project.
• Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for service: Students investigated the issue of recycling and learned about their local landfill. They also learned how to collect and handle recyclable material and plan a project.

Colleen Davies, 1997, Southern Middle School (Reading, SS, World Cultures), 301-535-7877, ccccdavies@yahoo.com

We introduce students to service-learning through a variety of projects. We have been reducing solid-waste to prolong the life of our landfill and began a school beautification project.

Gina L. McCullough, 2000, Calvert Middle School (Special Education), 410-535-7355, fatcats4@yahoo.com

The most memorable experience I have had engaging my students in service-learning was accompanying them on the CHESPAX canoe trip. This trip allows the students to collect data in hands-on activities that is later analyzed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Students record types of submerged aquatic vegetation present in a local creek, as well as the wildlife species found in the area. This activity provides CHESPAX and the U.S.F.W.S. with valuable information to help work towards solutions to help save the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to the trip, students partake in activities that provide them with the knowledge necessary to effectively understand this service. In addition to the collaborative efforts of teachers, CHESPAX, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, I designed a preparation and reflection activity to further enhance their knowledge. This activity allowed me to incorporate service-learning into a math graphing unit. Having the same students for math and science further enhanced the effectiveness of this task. After the trip, students are engaged in a number of reflection activities. One activity requires them to analyze their data and write a letter reporting their results to the U.S.F.W.S. The organization utilizes this information to determine the overall health of the bay. The U.S.F.W.S. writes letters in response to the students' findings thanking them for the valuable service they provided. The look of pride on the students' faces was priceless. Teaching children with special needs can, at times, be difficult and always challenging. Through this program, I have seen students so enthusiastic and engaged. Their response further validates the need for such service-oriented, hands-on experiences.

Kaye Oliver, 1997, Calvert High School (Civics), 410-535-7300

I am the service-learning coordinator for students at my school. I help students create an action plan and select service-learning projects on which to work.

Tamara Sasscer, 2001, Southern Middle School, 410-535-7877, tlkkellerkeller@yahoo.com

20 8th grade math students planted a buttefly garden in the school courtyard. The students found the area of the courtyard and created scale drawings to indicate where to plant the plants. We were aiming to beautify the school grounds.

• Meet a recognized community need: The project helped to raise moral in the students and staff of Southern Middle School and engender school and community pride in an effort to decrease vandalism and related behaviors.
• Achieve curricular objectives: We incorporated area, perimeter, and scale drawings into the project.
• Reflect through the service-learning experience: We discussed reasons why we should plant a butterfly garden. When it was finished, the students invited each class to a picnic in the improved courtyard.
• Develop student responsibility: The students were responsible for deciding where to place the plants in the courtyard. They were also responsible for digging the holes, planting, and maintaining the courtyard.
• Establish community partnerships: We established community partnerships with Chespax, who donated the plants, and we obtained shovels from Lowe's Home Improvement store.
• Plan ahead for service-learning: The principal of Southern Middle School informed me of the school's beautification money. I planned the concepts that needed to be taught to prepare for the project.
• Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for service: As a class, we reviewed how to find area and perimeter and discussed scale drawings.

Nancy LaVorgna, 1999, Northern Middle School, 410-257-1627, nlavorgna@hotmail.com

My team serves all organizations under the umbrella of the United Way. Activities vary from teacher to teacher and class to class. Students are responsible for identifying a community need and a planning for its resolve. Students brainstorm, discuss, evaluate, contact, and implement the plan. Assessment and reflection is continual and reevaluated often.

T. Emme Villaume, 2000, Pocomoke Middle School (Integrated Language Arts), 410-957-1567, koenig@dmv.com

One bone chilling, dark December evening, seventy seventh grade students stood around barrels of fire, ate soup and bread from a crude set-up, and huddled together to keep warm. During this homeless simulation, students began to ponder and reflect on the plight of homeless people. Realizations came from the mouths of babes as they identified with the problems of the homeless and sought answers. Through this simulation, we had met the world-wide need of awareness to social problems and motivated the students to serve. To prepare for the project, students studied statistics on the homeless, the nutrition levels of homeless people, diseases that run rampant when you don't have a home, and the effects of denial on a problem. After the experience, student wrote reflections on the simulation and posed solutions for the problem. Students were now taking responsibility to make a difference. Some formed committees within their student government association, held food drives and money collections, and visited a local shelter. We felt our work had been worthwhile - students were taking notice of other's needs and responding to those needs.

Clarice Johnson, 2002, Plum Point Middle School, 410-535-7400

Students in a Family Consumer Science class created quilts to be sold as part of a fundraising activity for a local hospice.

• Best Practice 1: The quilts were sold by Calvert Hospice to purchase necessary items such as medication for terminally ill patients.
• Best Practice 2: The service-learning project was infused into the 7th grade Family Consumer Science sewing semester class project. Each student sewed one quilt square. Together they stitched the squares and batting together to complete the quilts.
• Best Practice 3: When the lap quilts were completed, Kay Hilton, from Calvert Hospice, was invited back to the school and presented with lap quilts made by our students.
• Best Practice 4: Students were responsible for creating at least one quilt square and for helping to put the entire quilt together.
• Best Practice 5: Calvert Hospice was our primary partner. The Family & Consumer Science Department formed a partnership with parents, grandparents, community leaders/businesses (Wal-Mart) and school staff. These groups contributed batting, fabric, thread and other items needed for construction of the lap quilts.
• Best Practice 6: The project was incorporate into the sewing lessons for the course.
• Best Practice 7: A hospice worker came to the school as a resource person to talk with the class about the function of Calvert Hospice in the community. Students also learned sewing and teamwork skills.