Community Service: Letter to Parents

THINGS TO CONSIDER

How do I help my child with their community service? Every child is different and needs different amounts of parental involvement. Here are a few things to consider.

Help with transportation

Community service can enable your child to grow beyond Shorecrest. Check out the bus schedules. Look over the tips for choosing a site. Your child should do most of her or his service IN our community, but try NOT to have all service done at Shorecrest or with a relative. Make sure your child chooses community service he or she is passionate about then support their decision.

Be an advocate

Normally you would let your child handle her or his affairs. But if after multiple requests she or he can't get that recommendation letter, signature on the time sheet or other response, feel free to contact the community service office for help. Unfortunately sometimes adults respond quicker to adults.

Complete the graduation requirement in the sophomore year

The junior and senior years can get very busy with AP classes and upper class leadership positions in sports, drama, music and the senior project. Encourage your child to complete the graduation requirement her or his sophomore year.

Establish goals for the child who is passionate

Many students are so focused on the day-to-day deadlines they may not see a larger picture. Parents can help nurture a child's devotion to community service by setting up a 4-year plan. Freshmen and the beginning of the sophomore year is an opportunity to experiment and try out many different types of community service. It's the time to create breadth. By end of the sophomore year your child can try to narrow her or his community service and take on leadership roles. The junior and senior years are the time to build depth. Suggest to your child to find ways to show initiative. Help your child to articulate results of her or his community service. (Sometimes it's the parents that remember the details.) When job, college and scholarship applications ask about community service they are looking for commitment to a cause or an organization, leadership and initiative — not for a specific number of hours.

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Shorecrest graduate Marta Nimlos proudly displays the article about her Senior Project, published in the July 2002 edition of National Geographic Magazine. Her project resulted in the distribution of more than 4,000 books and $1,500 to Emfundweni Primary School in Zwide, South Africa.
	OVERVIEW LETTER TO PARENT STATUS REPORTS THINGS TO CONSIDER PARENT TO PARENT THINGS TO CONSIDER How do I help my child with their community service? Every child is different and needs different amounts of parental involvement. Here are a few things to consider. Help with transportation Community service can enable your child to grow beyond Shorecrest. Check out the bus schedules. Look over the tips for choosing a site. Your child should do most of her or his service IN our community, but try NOT to have all service done at Shorecrest or with a relative. Make sure your child chooses community service he or she is passionate about then support their decision. Be an advocate Normally you would let your child handle her or his affairs. But if after multiple requests she or he can't get that recommendation letter, signature on the time sheet or other response, feel free to contact the community service office for help. Unfortunately sometimes adults respond quicker to adults. Complete the graduation requirement in the sophomore year The junior and senior years can get very busy with AP classes and upper class leadership positions in sports, drama, music and the senior project. Encourage your child to complete the graduation requirement her or his sophomore year. Establish goals for the child who is passionate Many students are so focused on the day-to-day deadlines they may not see a larger picture. Parents can help nurture a child's devotion to community service by setting up a 4-year plan. Freshmen and the beginning of the sophomore year is an opportunity to experiment and try out many different types of community service. It's the time to create breadth. By end of the sophomore year your child can try to narrow her or his community service and take on leadership roles. The junior and senior years are the time to build depth. Suggest to your child to find ways to show initiative. Help your child to articulate results of her or his community service. (Sometimes it's the parents that remember the details.) When job, college and scholarship applications ask about community service they are looking for commitment to a cause or an organization, leadership and initiative — not for a specific number of hours.
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