Foster High School

****    Service Cord Awards (SCA)    ****

Program Guidelines

Purpose

To recognize students who engage in a high level (qualitatively and quantitatively) of service to the community by earning the opportunity to wear a service cord during senior graduation.  Seniors completing the program will receive their service cord, honored at the Awards Program in May, and recognized on the graduation program. In addition, at the Awards Program in May, the student in each grade level completing the most hours during the previous 12 months is also recognized.

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Hours

Hours required are an average of 40 per year that the student is enrolled at Foster High School.  The number of hours required is a total for the course of the high school experience.  If a student earns 30 hours one year, 50 the next, 35 the next, and 45 the final year, the total is still 160, and the student will meet the minimum requirement of the Service Cord Program.

Students are responsible for declaring their intent to participate in the program, and only hours earned after the declaration will count toward the required hours.  Service hours from the summer are allowed if the Intent to Serve is signed and returned to the Service Cord box located in the library NO LATER than the end of the third week of school each year.  All forms are available in the counselor’s suite, library, and on this website.

Students are responsible for returning all completed Service Hour Record forms to the Service Cord box located in the library (around the desk area).  Student hours will be recorded and an update will be posted on the Service Hour Board periodically during the year.   In the case of misplaced information, the student is solely responsible for keeping personal copies for verification.

Seniors are responsible for having all Service Hour Record forms turned into the Service Cord box by April 16^th.   All other students are responsible for having these forms turned into the service cord box by May 1^st.  Announcements will be made at school as a reminder of these deadlines.

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Guidelines

Students may not receive payment or compensation in any form for service performed.  Hours performed for any group or organization, which in turn profits financially from the service will not count.

The following may NOT count toward service hours:

• school activities for organizations of which you are a member with responsibilities for that organization, receive a benefit or a grade
• family obligations (example—baby sitting or caring for other family members)
• duties performed in association with student’s employment
• assisting teachers/administrators in completing any duties that are part of their contract (grading papers, decorating a room, carrying supplies, filing, copying, computer work, etc.)
• tutoring a friend (example—study groups, proofreading a friend’s paper, studying for an exam).
• travel time to and from mission trips and work camps (The general rule on mission trips will be 1 day is 8 hours and one week is 40 hours.)

The overriding issue should be that the community service is done primarily to benefit others in the community at large with no financial gain to a group or individual and should be something out of the student’s normal course of action.

The following MAY count toward service hours (this list is not comprehensive):

·       volunteer duties associated with a church or other community oriented non-profit organization

·       Boy Scout/Girl Scout service hours

·       Rosenberg/Richmond/etc.  revitalization

·       highway clean up

·       blood drives (including giving blood = 1 hour of service)

·       structured tutoring (such as adult education, literacy programs, citizenship programs).

·       All community service hours honored by PAL’s, NHS, Interact and Student Council may also be submitted for consideration for Service Cord Awards Hours.

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Restrictions

No more than 10% of the required hours may be from court-ordered community service activities (example: a maximum of only 16 hours of 160 may be court-ordered).

Hours are to be earned in half hour increments only.  All times will be rounded down to the nearest half hour.

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Deadlines

Students may declare their Intent to Serve at any time and only need to declare their intent once during enrollment at Foster.  In order for summer hours to count, the Intent must be on file or turned in along all Service Hour Records for summer hours to th e Service Cord box located in the library by the end of the third week of school. Any student who forgoes completing the Intent to Serve until a later date must complete all hours for the number of years he/she attended Foster, and only service hours obtained from that day forward may be counted.  All hours completed during the school year must be turned in within 21 days of the service performed.  The Service Cord Award Committee will review senior files once a month from September through April.   All other students’ materials will be reviewed 3 times during the school year.

The Service Awards Committee at this time consists of:

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Service_Hours_Record_Form.doc
Log_Record_of_Hours.doc
Intent to Serve Form.doc

Updated 5/2006

*Based on model by Smithson Valley High School

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