Quote from St. Vincent de Paul Society

In keeping with the tradition of the Catholic Vincentian tradition of person-to-person ministry to those less fortunate, St. Joseph's Catholic School’s Religious Education Program incorporates a community service component in the curriculum. In an effort to bring the classroom and textbook values into a real world context, the emphasis for this program is placed on community service.

Students who do not complete the Individual Community Service and turn in the class appropriate form (link to download form) by the deadline will receive an incomplete on their Community Service component of the Religious grade. This will lower their religion grade by one whole grade which will also affect the student’s GPA.

Specific objectives for the community service component include:

1. getting older students actively involved in service to others less fortunate or in need;
    
2. bringing age-appropriate values and ideals being taught in the classroom to life through various experiences;
    
3. illustrating to students there are people in need in our community, nation, and world;
    
4. further developing within the students the understanding of the dignity of others, regardless of their social status.

To meet the proposed objectives, each student enrolled at St. Joseph's Catholic School completes at least three (3) hours of community service per academic year. This three-hour service requirement is composed of one group project and one individual project. The group project is to be coordinated in each classroom with the teacher, community service parent(s), and community service liaison. The individual service project is to be coordinated informally through each family.

Administrative implementation, coordination, and evaluation are the responsibility of the Volunteer Coordinators.

Why do we do community service?
The Community Service Program is part of the Religious Education Curriculum, designed to help students develop a Christian social conscience. It is intended as a supplement to the classroom religious education. It is designed to give students a hands-on experience in understanding and responding to the needs of those less fortunate.

How is the Community Service Program organized?
The Community Service Program is organized and facilitated almost entirely by parent volunteers. The overall program is organized and facilitated by the Community Service Coordinator. This person is responsible for distributing information about the program, organizing parent volunteers, developing service opportunities, coordinating with the Principal and teachers to assure smooth operation of the program, and responding to questions from parents. In addition to the Community Service Coordinator, each classroom is assigned a Community Service Classroom Parent. That volunteer is responsible for organizing the Group Classroom Project for each class. The Classroom Parent works with the teacher to develop an age-appropriate project that the entire class will participate in. The Classroom Parent will also communicate with parents regarding the Group Classroom Project.

If I have a question about my child's Group Classroom Project, whom do I contact?
Contact the Classroom Parent for your child's class. A list of classroom parents is sent home at the beginning of each school year. If you do not have that information, you may call the Community Service Coordinator listed on the front page of the School Directory.

If I have a question about my child's Individual Project, whom do I contact?
Contact the Community Service Coordinator listed on the front page of the School Directory.

How many hours must my child complete in community service?
A total of three hours is required. This includes both the Group Project and the Individual Project. Since most Group Projects generally take one and one half to two hours, families can plan on creating an Individual Project of no more than two hours. As we tell the children, if your project is from the heart, you will not have a problem with the hourly requirement.

If I am having trouble deciding on an Individual Project, where can I go for ideas?
The Community Service Liaison will send home, in the Family Envelope, information on different types of projects that might fit your family and child. In addition, the Community Service Program organizes two events during the school year, which your child can participate in with other St. Joseph’s children, but receive credit for the individual project. These opportunities have included Rake-Up Boise in the fall and a visit to a care center in the spring. We have also, as the need arises, organized projects such as Special Olympics where students participating received individual credit. Check the Family Envelope for such opportunities. If you still have difficulty coming up with ideas, call the Community Service Liaison for assistance in developing your project.

My child is in Kindergarten. Does she/he still have to complete Community Service?
Every child at St. Joseph's, K-8, must complete both an Individual and Group Community Service Project. Of course, projects should be age-appropriate, to provide the best possible experience for the student

When are the forms due?
Parents do not need to complete a form for the Group Project, as the Classroom Parent will do that. Parents do need to assure that a form is completed for the Individual Project and turned in by March 15th of each school year.

If we completed a project over the summer, does that "count" as our community service project?
Any project completed since the last school year, for which your child did not receive credit last year, can be counted as an Individual Community Service Project, if it meets the other criteria.

What if I have questions about whether our idea for community service qualifies?
If you have any questions about whether your project qualifies, it is best to check it out before you complete the project. Call the Community Service Liaison listed on the front page of the school directory. .