Driver Middle School Service Learning Day

Community service has always been a major component of the Marcellus Central School District learning experience. The District expanded the concept of “giving back to the community” during the 2008-2009 school year as they added a “service learning component” to the English portfolio program in grades 7-12. Students now have the opportunity to participate in a variety of service learning activities and share their experiences in writing through their English portfolio. The concept has been expanded even further at Driver Middle School (DMS) where 7th and 8th grade students participate in an annual service learning day. This year’s DMS community service event took place on April 12th for 7th grade students and April 14th for 8th grade students. Students, teachers, and administrators set off from school for a morning of community service at a variety of local charitable agencies. The service learning experience helped students to work toward their English portfolio learning goals. Outlined below are the essential questions students need to answer through their service learning experience:
· Grade 7 – Define service learning. What did you complete? How did your participation affect your community?
· Grade 8 – In your own words, what does service learning mean? From your experience with service learning this year, how would that impact your high school choices of service?
Among the charitable agencies and sites visited by this year’s 7th and 8th grade students were: St. Camillus, Hope for the Bereaved, First English Lutheran Church, Francis House, Assumption Church, Salvation Army, Samaritan Center, Red Cross, Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Rescue Mission, Bridle Path Manor, Sarah House, Amberations, Baltimore Woods, and Orenda Springs.