Rationale

In addition to a strong academic program, we want to instill in our students a connection to the community around them. Community Service is an opportunity for students to analyze a need, evaluate how they can make a positive contribution, and then create a way to affect change.

As our students mature through the grade levels, they move from memorization to understanding and finally to applying their learning. The community service program must grow with them to provide age appropriate opportunities to make a difference in the world around them.

Hillcrest Commitment to Community Service

Guiding Principles

• Connect with our school community.
• Connect with our greater Oakland schools community.
• Connect with our greater Oakland community.
• Honor community service work done by students with their families & community groups.

Philosophy

You don’t have to be powerful to make a huge impact on your community. Community Service TEACHES and MODELS for our children what it means to be part of a community. Our community is Oakland.

Expectation

All Hillcrest students – from Kindergarten through 8th grade – can contribute their time and effort to better their community.

Paradigm Shift

In the past, children collected money or things to contribute to organizations to which they had little connection or follow-up.  The child’s focus was on competing to see who could collect the most. We believe there is more power in DOING. If we gave more of ourselves: time, effort, talent, we create an opportunity to connect and interact with those we are helping.

Examples of Past Events

Over the years, Hillcrest students have participated in various events, including visiting and singing songs at the Piedmont Gardens Senior Center, book drives for libraries and schools with few books, making lunches for families living at the Henry J. Robinson Multi-Service Center, food drives for the Alameda Food Bank, and helping with the Temescal Invasive Plant Removal.

Middle School Community Service

The Middle School Community Service program is a continuation and extension of the activities in which they have participated since Kindergarten.

Guiding Principles:

• Connect with our school community.
• Connect with our greater Oakland schools community.
• Connect with our greater Oakland community.
• Honor community service work done by students with their families and community groups.

Philosophy and Expectations

You don’t have to be powerful to make a huge impact on your community. Community Service TEACHES and MODELS for our children what it means to be part of a community. Our community is Oakland. All Hillcrest students can contribute their time and effort to better their community.

In the past, children collected money or things to contribute to organizations to which they had little connection or follow-up. The child’s focus was on competing to see who could collect the most. We believe there is more power in DOING. When we give more of ourselves in the form of time, effort and talent, we create an opportunity to connect and interact with those we are helping.

Every Middle School student will have the opportunity to connect and feel ownership of their school through their service to the younger students, and the Hillcrest community as a whole. Ongoing projects have been established at each grade level as defined below. Other projects are funded with volunteer time and effort as they arise.

Parent Support

As detailed in Volunteer section of this handbook, the Community Service coordinator works with established service opportunities and helps students find interesting and fulfilling service activities. If you have an idea for service activities feel free to get in contact with the coordinator.

Service Activities at Hillcrest

Listed below are examples of possible service activities at Hillcrest. Activities are focused in three areas:

• Helping younger students (e.g. tutors/reading buddies, PTA babysitters),
• Making the school a better place for all (e.g. safety patrol, green team), and
• Raising money for the middle school (e.g. Pizza Friday and the Pumpkin Patch).

Expected Grade-Level Service Activities

Service Opportunities for All MS Grades

Service Activities in Hillcrest at Large

Our school community service coordinator looks for opportunities several times per year as part of our “Hillcrest Helps Out: Families Reaching Out to Other Oakland Schools” program. The goal is for Hillcrest parents and students to work together to make a difference at other Oakland Schools. The program tries to select projects that encourage parents and children from the school we are helping to join us in making a difference.

Hillcrest is currently “Sister Schools” with Lockwood, Santa Fe, Sankofa, and Piedmont Avenue. Over the years, we have also provided support to Allendale, Think College Now, Lincoln, Reach Academy, Lakeview, Madison Middle, Lazear, Maxwell Park, Place at Prescott, Hoover, West Oakland Middle School and Emerson.

We encourage MS students and their families to participate in “Hillcrest Helps Out” as much as possible.