Last school year, 2015-16, the Lake Elementary School Board took on the tumultuous task of reviewing board policy. The purpose of the review was more than just to update policy; the board also outlined a goal to provide the policy online for parents and the Lake community. (Policies should be online soon!) Through this review, we learned that, although outlined in policy, we do not have some components in place. Two that quickly rose to the top were: Service Learning Plan and Transportation Safety Plan. School Site Council is currently reviewing sample Transportation Safety Plans and will be submitting a draft policy to the board later this year.
In regards to the Service Learning Plan, once we discovered we didn't have one, we hit the ground running. Fortunately, one of our own staff, Mrs. Taylor, was working on her master's over the summer; as part of a master's project, she had been working to develop a Service Learning Plan. Simultaneously, staff members attended various professional development in which service learning was identified as a key component at school sites and in classrooms.
In a very short time we have participated in various service learning activities this year. We realized that some of the things we already do at Lake are service oriented; most notably is our Grandparents Day event. In conjunction with Grandparents Day and Patriot Day this year, every student participated in "Letters to Troops" by writing a letter to a veteran, an active member of the military, or a wounded warrior.
At the end of September, Student Council led the "Bring the Change" fundraiser in which all funds raised were donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This progressive coin drive focused on a different spirit-wear item and coin: Pajama Penny Monday, Neon Nickel Tuesday, Dazzling Dime Wednesday, Crazy Quarter Thursday, and Team Up for All Coins an Dollars Friday. Did you know that our small, rural school of 179 students raised over $1,000 in one week! What a great show of support for a great cause!
This week, our third graders will be taking a trip to West Haven to read to and make crafts with senior citizens. Our goal is to expand our relationship with West Haven and other community agencies through all grade levels.
As you can see, we're off to a great start, and our Service Learning Plan is still in its developmental stages! If you see a need in the community, county, region, state, or beyond, please let me know. While we are pleased to continue the strong traditions that make Lake great, we are excited and eager to engage in new service learning opportunities with our students.
Yours in Learning,
Mrs. Baker
