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The following guidelines will apply to
students who enroll in DeSales High School for the 2010-2011 academic
year and following.
What is a service
credit?
A service credit is a way of
calculating the amount of service required by DeSales High School.
Generally speaking, each hour associated with a task that has been
completed will equal one credit. For special opportunities and those
offered through the DeSales community, a certain credit amount will be
assigned prior to completing the task.
How many service
credits must I complete?
Each student is required to
complete a minimum of 25 service credits each academic year, for a
total of 100 credits for graduation.
What if I don’t
complete the minimum number of credits?
The Service and Ministry Program
is an important element of the DeSales curriculum. If a student does
not meet the minimum number of service credits, that student is
considered to not have adequately met the requirements expected for
that year and therefore he will not be permitted to advance to the
next grade level.
For Seniors,
failure to complete the appropriate number of service credits will
render students ineligible to participate in the senior week
activities and will not be able to participate in the commencement
ceremony—and will therefore not receive a diploma.
What if I complete
more than 25 credits each year?
Credits that exceed the
25 hour minimum will be kept on record in the student’s ministry
portfolio, but will not be carried over into subsequent years. As a
student grows in maturity, so should his understanding and ability to
perform Christian service. As students progress through their years
at DeSales, Christian Service will be an important component that they
should experience during this time of personal and spiritual growth.
Students that excel in the area of service and ministry through
DeSales will be recognized in a special way at future award ceremonies
through the school as well as the Senior Honors Day.
Will I be able to complete my service requirements during the summer
months?
Service that is
completed during the summer months will be credited to the upcoming
academic year and can not be applied to the previous academic year.
What if I don’t
have the balance between the parish and non-profit credits?
The balance between
parish/school and non-profit credits is set forth by the DeSales Board
of Directors and must be maintained. Hours can not overlap, or be
carried over from one section to another. If a student does not have
a parish or local church community in which they are active members, a
student may choose to complete all 100 credits through local
non-profit organizations. This arrangement must be pre-approved by
the Coordinator of Campus Ministry.
What qualifies as
non-profit service?
A non-profit organization is one
that does not seek monetary gain for their services, but instead
offers public services for the betterment of a specific aspect within
the community or world. A database of local and global
non-profit organizations is available in the Office of Campus
Ministry. This is not an exclusive list, but may provide some
guidance for students who need some extra direction.
What qualifies as
parish service?
It is important for
student and families to be involved within their local faith
communities. Students are encouraged to participate in the active
life of their parish or church community. Even is a student performs
his service through a parish or local faith community that he does not
belong to, it will still qualify for this category. The DeSales
community qualifies as a local faith community and not a non-profit
organization.
Can work that I
complete for my family or a for profit organization count towards my
service credits (if I don’t get paid for the work)?
There is a distinction
between Christian Service and volunteerism. There is more required of
Christian Service than just not receiving compensation for a task
completed. Tasks that are completed for “for-profit” organizations,
family members, family friends, and organizations/clubs/groups of the
school that the student is currently a member of will not be credited
toward their 25 service hours for the Service and Ministry program,
unless otherwise specifically stated by DeSales prior to completing
the hours. Service in question may be pre-approved by the Coordinator
of Campus Ministry.
Are there any limits
to the types of service that I may complete?
Each grade level has
certain requirements outlined in which they are expected to complete
their service credits. The pre-approved credits allotted through the
DeSales community are limited to eight (8) credits per year, with no
more than four (4) coming from the same area. (i.e. athletics,
advancement, clubs/organizations).
What qualifies as
acceptable service?
Assessing appropriate
service can be a tricky endeavor. The following questions can serve
as a self-evaluation for possible service opportunities:
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Does the service opportunity
apply to the theme of the year?
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Does the service opportunity
address a justice-related issue?
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Does the service opportunity
contribute to the greater community?
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Does the service opportunity
help me to grow in my faith and understanding of who I am as an
individual?
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Does the service opportunity
increase the quality of life for others?
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Is the service opportunity
something I would not be expected to do as a member of my family,
club, organization, team, or other group/community to which I belong?
If these questions can
be answered “yes,” then the service opportunity in consideration meets
the basic criteria of Christian Service. If any of these questions
can be answered “no,” then deeper reflection is required, or other
service opportunities should be considered.
Where can I go to
complete my service?
The Office of Campus Ministry has
a set of resources to aide students in choosing service opportunities
that are appropriate for their interests, abilities and schedules.
Resources are separated according to the themes and needs associated
with each grade level.
Resources available through the Office of
Campus Ministry include: ways to assist in parish/faith communities,
lists of non-profit agencies and services they offer, creative
approaches to service, self-directed approaches to justice-based
service.
Where can I find the
appropriate service credit forms?
Each grade level has
specific ways to record and submit their service credits. The
appropriate forms can be found on the DeSales website under the
Ministry/Service section. Forms can also be obtained from the Office
of Campus Ministry at the school.
What guidelines
should I follow for my reflection essay?
The reflection essays
are designed to help the students uncover the importance of the
Christian service they have completed and how it has impacted them—as
an individual, how it impacted those who received the service, and how
service impacts society as a whole.
Reflection essays
should be of appropriate length—as outlined in the grade level
criteria—typed, double-spaced, 12-point font and 1” margins. Essays
will be reviewed by the Coordinator of Campus Ministry and may be
returned to the student for further reflection. See the Service
and Ministry Reflective Essay Criteria page for more details and
for the writing prompts for each grade level.
When can I submit my
service credits?
Service credits and reflection
essays may be turned into the Office of Campus Ministry any time
throughout the year. The Coordinator of Campus Ministry will
review the service credits and the reflection essay for approval.
Once the credits and essays are approved, essays will be distributed
to the appropriate English teachers for a writing assignment grade for
the student’s English class.
How do I submit
credits?
Each grade level has a
specific process for receiving credit upon completion of their
service. Appropriate forms and reflections must be completed for the
student to receive credit for any service they complete. Once
students have completed the appropriate information, it should be
submitted to the Coordinator of Campus Ministry. Students may turn in
their service credits and reflection essays at any time throughout the
academic year.
When must service
credits be turned in?
For underclassmen,
service credits and reflection essays are due not later than the
Friday before finals. For seniors, service
credits and reflection essays are due the Friday—one full calendar
week—prior to graduation. Specific dates for each deadline can
be found on the school calendar.
How can I check
how many credits I have submitted?
Standing within the
Service and Ministry Program can be checked through PowerSchool by
checking under the “FEES” section. The amount “paid” is what the
student has submitted. The “Balance Owed” is what the student needs
to complete for graduation (not the academic year).
When are service
credits updated in PowerSchool?
All service information
that is submitted during a week will be calculated and updated in
PowerSchool by the end of the business day on Friday during the
academic year.
What if I am a
transfer student?
For students that
transfer into DeSales following the first semester of their freshman
year, adjustments are made to the grand total of hours required for
graduation. Students are still held responsible for the requirements
outlined for each academic year they are enrolled at DeSales.
Can my service
credits be denied?
Acceptance or refusal
of any service submitted to the Office of Campus Ministry is up the
discretion of the Coordinator of Campus Ministry. If a student’s
credits are denied for any reason, the student will be informed via
school e-mail of the denial and a reason explaining the denial of
credits. The student may meet with the Coordinator of Campus Ministry
to see what may need to be done in order for those credits to be
accepted.
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