- Increase student awareness of the needs of local citizens
- Increase student awareness of the skills and talents they have to offer
- Increase the likelihood of students developing a lifelong pattern of service
- Give students a sense of pride and accomplishment in improving the quality of life for those they serve
- Demonstrate to schools and future employers a history of service
- Give students a venue to put into practice the values learned in character education
- Develop a partnership between Springwood and the community
Students at Springwood School have five different areas of opportunities to participate in community service: Community Service Class, Interim Week Junior Volunteer Program, Wildcat Workday, school organizations, and high school wide community service requirements.
This class is a semester course offered to seniors (1/2 credit). Students meet in class for the first week to learn about service and get assignment. Students then must spend five to six hours per rotation on their agreed upon commitments. Once a rotation students turn in detailed logs to the teacher which are graded and returned. Individual conferences with the teacher are scheduled on a weekly basis to make sure service is proceeding according to plan. The teacher stays in contact with supervisors to see if any adjustments need to be made. Students are graded each rotation using four criteria: following community service guidelines, on-site visits, supervisor reports, and logs. A paper analyzing their service is due from the students at the end of the semester, and this constitutes one-fourth of the semester grade. Students who pass the course are given all the hours they work, but 50 of them count toward the 60 required for the senior year. Susan Pitts teaches this class.
The week before spring break each year, high school students participate in special activities. For the juniors, that means spending four days on various community service projects. Ann Thomas currently chairs this program and Susan Pitts assists. Assignments vary from year to year depending on the needs of the community.
Springwood School’s third annual Wildcat Workday is April 18, 2008. The community will again become the classroom for Springwood students, faculty, and parent volunteers. Wildcat Workday gives our students a feeling of connection to their community as well as gives them the positive value of volunteerism and service to others.
Springwood volunteers provided 1500 hours of community service and completed 24 projects in 4 hours in the local community in 2007 and completed 25 projects in 2006. Below are some of the projects accomplished.
Landscaped 2 Fuller Center homes in West Point and 2 homes in Lanett (2007)
Cleared nature trails at Hardley Creek for the Corp of Engineers (2006, 2007)
Landscaped at Madge Barnwell Park in West Point (2006, 2007)
Worked on a Habitat House in LaGrange (2006) and a Habitat House in LaFayette (2007)
Cleaned up the Riverdale Mill area for the City of Valley (2007)
Put up insulation at New Christian Service Center Building (2006)
Washed windows and organized attic at Sav-A-Life (2006)
Painted the basement at Lanett Gym where the Girls and Boys Club meet (2006)
Washed senior citizens vehicles at Lanett Senior Citizens Center (2006)
Picked up grounds at the Depot and Fort Tyler (2006) and in the West Point Industrial Park (2007)
Washed police cars for West Point, Lanett, and Valley police departments (2006, 2007)
Planted flowers / moved furniture / washed windows in downtown West Point (2006)
Planted flowers at Five Points Community Center (2006)
Painted signs in Lanett (2006, 2007)
Read and played games at Valley daycares (2006, 2007)
Baked cookies and delivered to Lanier Nursing Home (2006)
Put together personal care kits and delivered to Riverbend Assisted Living (2006)
Planted pots of spring flowers and delivered to shut-ins (2006, 2007)
Visited and sang at Golden Living Center and Savannah Court (2007)
Worked on surveys for the Circle of Care (2007)
Wildcat Workday provides students with the opportunity to enjoy new experiences, meet new people, learn new skills, and put ideas and talents to work. But most importantly, Wildcat Workday allows Springwood students to make a difference in their community. Students offer service to the community free of charge for four hours on April 18. It is tremendous occasion to instill in our students a strong sense of their role in the community.
Clubs and organizations take on various projects throughout the year. From canned food drives to Operation Christmas Tree, the students work to help others. The Student Government Association (SGA), Interact and Students Taking Active Roles in Service (S.T.A.R.S) have led the way.
Recognizing the importance of service, Springwood instituted a community service plan for all high school students in 2003. The service forms for this program can be found by going to the Springwood website and finding Mrs. Pitts’ page. This program is undergoing a review and new guidelines will be announced this spring.
