Oley Valley High School Community Service Information

Community Service Log

What is community service and what does the community service requirement mean?

Community Service is an Oley Valley School District requirement for graduation.  Students may start their service immediately after promotion from the eighth grade.  The goal for this requirement is for students to become aware citizens that see a responsibility to their community.  Each student is to complete 30 hours of service by the end of his/her junior year.  It is recommended that students complete ten hours of service each year.

Community service is not volunteerism and should be separate from school activities.  It is separate from the high school project but may be used as research for the project.

The concept of community service is to benefit the community.  Although not limited to non-profit agencies, all non-profit agencies are considered places to earn community service hours.  Approved types of services include areas such as working with…

Students may seek community service opportunities based on individual interests.  In addition, community service opportunities will be advertised on the morning announcements, listed on the OVSD website (www.oleyvalleysd.org, click on High School, click on Guidance, click on Community Service), and posted on the bulletin board outside the guidance office.  A folder noting community service activities is also located in the guidance office.

Benefits to the student include:

• Learn to take responsibility for planning positive personal activities.
• Participate in a variety of meaningful experiences.
• Gain an understanding of the importance of developing acceptable work habits, good grooming, and the need for self-discipline.
• Gain opportunities to associate with adults an, recognize the contribution adults make to their education, and learn from adults.
• Discover and develop career interests and aptitudes.
• Identify experiences in which they have a genuine interest and a willingness to serve without monetary compensation.
• Identify and plan worthwhile personal activities which may be categorized as community service.
• Gain confidence and self esteem.
• Link school programs more closely with community needs.
• Realize the value of the gift of time and energy for worthy volunteer activities.
• Develop a closer rapport between the school and the community.

Benefits to the community include:

Complete needed projects for which the community may have inadequate funds or help.

Recognize the importance of community service in the education system.

Create an atmosphere of shared responsibility with the school.

Develop a feeling of mutual ownership of the program with the school.

Procedure Checklist
The student will determine what project(s)/activity s/he would like to do.The student will contact the organization and/or person(s) responsible for the activity/project to determine if the project /activity could be classified as community service.

The student will acquire an OVSD Community Service Log in the high school office (610.987-4100, ext. 6004), at the guidance office (610.987-4100, ext. 6013) or online at the guidance web site (see the Forms link). Office hours during school days are 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and summer hours are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The student shall complete the student’s name, graduating class year, community service organization and telephone number, and supervisor’s name and telephone, and have the principal, assistant principal, or school counselor review, sign and date the school approval portion of the form prior to completing the project/activity.

Completed Oley Valley School District Community Service Logs should be submitted to the student’s homeroom teacher.  The homeroom teacher will maintain the student’s completed logs.  Periodically throughout each school year the homeroom teacher will review student logs.  When a student’s community service hours total 30, the homeroom teacher will forward the logs to the high school guidance office for filing.  A blue community service completion label noting the date will be affixed to the student’s permanent record.