Living the Gospel Message Sophomore Year 2008-2009

Every student is required to participate in service learning each year while attending Bishop Ready High School. Specific guidelines have been developed to recognize the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social development of our students. Service learning is integrated into the theology classroom through reflection and discussion. A theology test grade is recorded based on a written reflection and discussion. It is strongly recommended that students complete at least half their service learning hours over the summer and complete the other half in the early part of the school year.

Service for any organization or activity at Bishop Ready High School is no longer acceptable for LTGM minimum requirements.

Guidelines for the completion of the sophomore requirement are as follows:

• A minimum of 20 hours of service;
• To be completed in a parish, hospital, nursing home, or United Way organization* that is in agreement with Catholic moral teaching;
• Unless altar serving is a new ministry, it may not be used for sophomore hours;
• A maximum of 5 hours volunteering in the parish for activities such as coaching, assisting, score keeping and selling refreshments at parish athletic events are allowed;
• Church oriented work camps;
• Particularly recommended is service with the marginalized or poor such as soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, Material Assistance Providers (MAP), Salesian Center, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, J.O.I.N., Catholic/Lutheran/Jewish Social Services, LifeCare Alliance, Special Olympics, Westside Free Store, or Mother M. Angeline Home;
• Also recommended are Shepherd’s Corner at Dominican Acres, Columbus Metro Parks, non-profit Humane Societies;
• Due to legal issues, bingo is not acceptable service under any circumstance;
• Volunteering at a for profit business is never acceptable;
• A parent or family member may not be the supervisor;
• Service is not complete until a supervisor's evaluation is given to the student's theology teacher;
• No exceptions will be allowed from the above guidelines.

After the school year begins evaluation forms may be e-mailed, mailed, or hand-delivered to the appropriate theology teacher, they may also be dropped off in the main office. Bishop Ready High School is not responsible for evaluation forms delivered to the school during summer break. Please wait until the first day of regular classes to bring in supervisor forms.

Questions concerning community service may be addressed to Dr. SK at bschwabk@cdeducation.org. It is recommended that questions be addressed BEFORE beginning service if the student is unsure if the agency for which they want to volunteer is acceptable.

Students may begin their sophomore service hours after the completion of their freshman year and must have them completed by the last day of fourth quarter. Students may not work ahead in service hours (each year's service may not begin until after the completion of the current grade). Awards are given annually to students who perform service above and beyond that which is required.

Sophomores not up-to-date in their service requirement by the last day of fourth quarter classes of sophomore year will automatically become ineligible for all extra-curricular activities. Supervisor forms will not be accepted by anyone at Bishop Ready through the summer and the student will, therefore, remain ineligible until at least the first day of school. The affected student will need to return the appropriate forms on the first day of school the following year to their current theology teacher. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY!

* United Way organizations are defined as those not for profit agencies/organizations that receive monies from the annual United Way campaign.