Service Hours Update

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

Service to the school and school community has long been a valued part of student growth and development.  The philosophy of 'giving back' to ones' community is something that we heartily encourage.

By volunteering, students gain a sense of responsibility to their community, learn that one person can make a difference, learn the benefit of sacrificing time to help others, tolerance and understanding of the different members of our community, and finally, they gain important job skills and experience.

The key points:

• Service hours are unpaid service provided to the school and Seycove community (Parkgate and Elementary Family of Schools) and are not associated with course credit 
  
• STUDENTS (not teachers) will be responsible for gathering, recording and having their service hours verified
  
• Verification is in the form of a sponsor teacher's next to the activity for which the student provided service
  
• External service hours (service beyond Seycove, Parkgate and our Elementary FOS's) can total 30 hour maximum for the year. A letter/note from the sponsor of the external activity should be attached to the service hour form
  
• Service sheets are due at the End of each Month [September and October have been handled on one sheet] (completed sheets can be dropped off to the collection box in the student services center and new sheets can be picked up in the same place)
  
• Students need to use the 'code' on the front of the service hours sheet when recording hours on their service hour grid
  
• Senior students who are TA's, must declare whether they are TA'ing for service hours or for course credit. Those who declare course credit will receive a letter grade on their report card. Students who declare service must record the hours they work per month and have these signed off by their sponsor teacher. There is no 'double dipping' or splitting of TA hours 
  
• ​​Grade 12's need 30 hours of volunteer or paid work experience to fulfill their Ministry requirement for graduation. The 30 hours that students use for their graduation requirements cannot be used toward a service certificate or service pin. Students will work with their graduation transitions 12 teacher to complete this Ministry requirement for graduation. These hours can be collected and carried over year to year from grade 10 – 12.