WWTBAM Bored

High schools require so many hours of community work.

Yesterday, Big J spent 1 1/2 hours at a horse rescue facility. He groomed and walked horses, and met an especially sweet young lady named Grace. She stands about 15 hands, bronze coat with black mane and tail, and a white diamond down her nose.

She apparantly follows his around the corral like a dog. The facility owner says she is absolutely fascinated with him. She wuffles his hair, and nibbles his jacket if he doesn't scratch her neck.

I think this is the best idea in years. Make high school kids do so many hours of community service for their diploma. We have it here too, in Ontario. I say anything that gets the kids involved is great. I'm glad that James has had a positive experience and I hope it just gets better.

Since you heard about all this, I must suspect that Big J's interest in Grace matches her fascination with him. In one way or another, I predict, the lovely Grace will make a difference in the way BJ looks at life, and he will be a better man for having known her.

Animals are the best.

Good for Big J!

Is this rescue facility in town or does he have to travel out to the suburbs?

Is there room in your apartment for a horse?

ontellen wrote:I think this is the best idea in years. Make high school kids do so many hours of community service for their diploma. We have it here too, in Ontario. I say anything that gets the kids involved is great. I'm glad that James has had a positive experience and I hope it just gets better.

I don't think forced community service is a good idea. I was a full-time volunteer for two years after college, so I definitely think volunteering is great, but what about Amendment 13 to the Constitution in the US? Isn't requiring students to volunteer involuntary servitude, and required volunteering an oxymoron?

We have required community service hours at the high school I work at, and from what I've seen, the kids mostly do the least they can do to get it over with. They volunteer at our after school program and just sit there texting instead of engaging with the kids. We also have high school students from other schools who come and are great with the kids, because they want to be there.

I'm willing to hear arguments for the opposing side.

Rafferty Barnes wrote:

ontellen wrote:I think this is the best idea in years. Make high school kids do so many hours of community service for their diploma. We have it here too, in Ontario. I say anything that gets the kids involved is great. I'm glad that James has had a positive experience and I hope it just gets better.

I don't think forced community service is a good idea. I was a full-time volunteer for two years after college, so I definitely think volunteering is great, but what about Amendment 13 to the Constitution in the US? Isn't requiring students to volunteer involuntary servitude, and required volunteering an oxymoron?

We have required community service hours at the high school I work at, and from what I've seen, the kids mostly do the least they can do to get it over with. They volunteer at our after school program and just sit there texting instead of engaging with the kids. We also have high school students from other schools who come and are great with the kids, because they want to be there.

I'm willing to hear arguments for the opposing side.

Gosh, I agree with you. Why insist kids do anything at all that would infringe on their constitutional rights. Reading, writing, manners, civic responsibility and such things have always been highly over rated in my book anyway. I say just sit their little fannies down in front of TV, give'em a game boy and cell phone when they're a little older and let them have at it.

Sweet Jesus.........and people wonder what's wrong with our country.




And Saucy, way to go! You'll make a man of that kid yet!

To me, volunteering should be done for the sake of doing it, not for any reward or to fulfill a school requirement. I know I have a different view of it than most people. My mother was mad that I wouldn't put my volunteering hours on my college applications, because I didn't wasn't doing it to get into college, I was doing it because I cared about the organizations I was volunteering at.

If the requirement gives some people like Big J the push to find something he really cares about, that's great. I've just seen it to often be another box highschoolers have to check off in the quickest and easiest way possible.

I love the irony of another horse entering Saucy's life. Way to go Grace! Way to go James!

Community service is good.

Rafferty Barnes wrote:To me, volunteering should be done for the sake of doing it, not for any reward or to fulfill a school requirement. I know I have a different view of it than most people. My mother was mad that I wouldn't put my volunteering hours on my college applications, because I didn't wasn't doing it to get into college, I was doing it because I cared about the organizations I was volunteering at.

Many kids are clueless about where and how to volunteer. It sounds as if the school program is a good method for introducing the kids to these opportunities.

Saucy --

This sounds wonderful. Good for the young-man-formerly-known-as-Wee-Jamie.

Catfish wrote:Many kids are clueless about where and how to volunteer. It sounds as if the school program is a good method for introducing the kids to these opportunities.

There are many extracurricular groups like Key Club in high school that can introduce kids to volunteering opportunities. I think it's a good idea to encourage young people to volunteer, I'm just uncomfortable making it a requirement.

Rafferty Barnes wrote:

Catfish wrote:Many kids are clueless about where and how to volunteer. It sounds as if the school program is a good method for introducing the kids to these opportunities.

There are many extracurricular groups like Key Club in high school that can introduce kids to volunteering opportunities. I think it's a good idea to encourage young people to volunteer, I'm just uncomfortable making it a requirement.

Only a small percentage of kids are joiners. I'm thinking about the one or two kids (and that's better than none) in whom the spark goes off only after they have been plunked down in the service owing to the requirement.

a1mamacat wrote:High schools require so many hours of community work.

I know all about the community service. Maddie needs 40 hours to graduate, but I have been told that to help pad her college applications, she needs more like 250 hours.

Rafferty Barnes wrote:To me, volunteering should be done for the sake of doing it, not for any reward or to fulfill a school requirement.

I totally agree with you, but since the law was passed, my daughters have to follow the "rules" about volunteering so that they can graduate.

a1mamacat wrote: Yesterday, Big J spent 1 1/2 hours at a horse rescue facility. He groomed and walked horses, and met an especially sweet young lady named Grace. She stands about 15 hands, bronze coat with black mane and tail, and a white diamond down her nose.

She apparantly follows his around the corral like a dog. The facility owner says she is absolutely fascinated with him. She wuffles his hair, and nibbles his jacket if he doesn't scratch her neck.

Are you going to adopt a horse?

After we started volunteering at a Greyhound facility, we adopted a Greyhound.

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:

a1mamacat wrote: Yesterday, Big J spent 1 1/2 hours at a horse rescue facility. He groomed and walked horses, and met an especially sweet young lady named Grace. She stands about 15 hands, bronze coat with black mane and tail, and a white diamond down her nose.

She apparantly follows his around the corral like a dog. The facility owner says she is absolutely fascinated with him. She wuffles his hair, and nibbles his jacket if he doesn't scratch her neck.

Are you going to adopt a horse?

After we started volunteering at a Greyhound facility, we adopted a Greyhound.

Oh, I know, and much as I would adore that chance to have a Zap experience, a small apt is no place for a horse. Heck we barely have room for the hamster LOL

This sounds terrific Saucy.

I think it will give him a different perspective.

I have no problem in requiring volunteer time. The school even provides ample opportunities to the kids so that it is not difficult for them to meet our school's requirment.

But then Daughter1111 has close to 800 volunteer hours due to her summer activities.

Rafferty Barnes wrote:

ontellen wrote:I think this is the best idea in years. Make high school kids do so many hours of community service for their diploma. We have it here too, in Ontario. I say anything that gets the kids involved is great. I'm glad that James has had a positive experience and I hope it just gets better.

I don't think forced community service is a good idea. I was a full-time volunteer for two years after college, so I definitely think volunteering is great, but what about Amendment 13 to the Constitution in the US? Isn't requiring students to volunteer involuntary servitude, and required volunteering an oxymoron?

We have required community service hours at the high school I work at, and from what I've seen, the kids mostly do the least they can do to get it over with. They volunteer at our after school program and just sit there texting instead of engaging with the kids. We also have high school students from other schools who come and are great with the kids, because they want to be there.

I'm willing to hear arguments for the opposing side.

We are not all blessed with younguns who have the will, or the drive, or the desire to focus outside of themselves. While some will just go through the motions, others will discover that they have more depth to them than they believed.

Sadly, I think that some parents are willing to let them glide through with the self-focused viewpoint, and so a requirement for some service puts the onus on the school and the kid.

For kids like my son, with a lack of self confidence, and a history of non-successes, this is perfect. The school matches the activity to the student, and as my son has a hard time with personal interactions, an animal encounter is golden. His confidence will rise, and then look out world LOL.

a1mamacat wrote:

Rafferty Barnes wrote:

ontellen wrote:I think this is the best idea in years. Make high school kids do so many hours of community service for their diploma. We have it here too, in Ontario. I say anything that gets the kids involved is great. I'm glad that James has had a positive experience and I hope it just gets better.

I don't think forced community service is a good idea. I was a full-time volunteer for two years after college, so I definitely think volunteering is great, but what about Amendment 13 to the Constitution in the US? Isn't requiring students to volunteer involuntary servitude, and required volunteering an oxymoron?

We have required community service hours at the high school I work at, and from what I've seen, the kids mostly do the least they can do to get it over with. They volunteer at our after school program and just sit there texting instead of engaging with the kids. We also have high school students from other schools who come and are great with the kids, because they want to be there.

I'm willing to hear arguments for the opposing side.

We are not all blessed with younguns who have the will, or the drive, or the desire to focus outside of themselves. While some will just go through the motions, others will discover that they have more depth to them than they believed.

Sadly, I think that some parents are willing to let them glide through with the self-focused viewpoint, and so a requirement for some service puts the onus on the school and the kid.

For kids like my son, with a lack of self confidence, and a history of non-successes, this is perfect. The school matches the activity to the student, and as my son has a hard time with personal interactions, an animal encounter is golden. His confidence will rise, and then look out world LOL.

I'm with RB here. We had no high school volunteer requirement but the school did have voluntary programs that they could set you up with. I ended up working with the local hospital visitation committee and most of my friends ended up doing similarly worthy work. But there are people who simply don't have the drive and you cant force a teenager to "volunteer" for something. I don't think their heart will be in it and I don't think they'll gain from it. And if those programs are set up in a voluntary fashion I think most of those who can gain from it will end up signing up anyway.

a1mamacat wrote:

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:

a1mamacat wrote: Yesterday, Big J spent 1 1/2 hours at a horse rescue facility. He groomed and walked horses, and met an especially sweet young lady named Grace. She stands about 15 hands, bronze coat with black mane and tail, and a white diamond down her nose.

She apparantly follows his around the corral like a dog. The facility owner says she is absolutely fascinated with him. She wuffles his hair, and nibbles his jacket if he doesn't scratch her neck.

Are you going to adopt a horse?

After we started volunteering at a Greyhound facility, we adopted a Greyhound.

Oh, I know, and much as I would adore that chance to have a Zap experience, a small apt is no place for a horse. Heck we barely have room for the hamster LOL

Maybe they have one named Sonny......

lb13

And I agree with RB on the forced volunteerism thing. That's something I call an oxymoron....

There's nothing wrong with encouraging it, but volunteering is something you either want to do or not. There are some who were born to serve, and then there are those like me who cringe at the very thought of giving up even a minute of my spare time for something I don't want to do in the first place.... even if I mostly use it to vegetatate in front of this computer.....

lb13

Stephen has always been the type to go around the neighborhood with two bags--one for trash, and one for recycling. He was asked when he was in first grade if he was doing it for the Scouts or some other organization, and he replied he was doing it because it needed to be done (especially around the construction sites--I guess the beer-drinking kids like having a Port-o-Potty for their girlfriends?) Now he goes out in his kayak after storms and cleans up the stuff that gets washed into the waterways.

The problem is his school has a requirement for community service, but the form has to be signed by an organization, so he usually just goes on the trips arranged by the school to get his hours. I have to see if I can find a way for him to get credit for what he already does now that the hours got bumped up since he's in the Upper School.

a1mamacat wrote:
We are not all blessed with younguns who have the will, or the drive, or the desire to focus outside of themselves. While some will just go through the motions, others will discover that they have more depth to them than they believed.

Sadly, I think that some parents are willing to let them glide through with the self-focused viewpoint, and so a requirement for some service puts the onus on the school and the kid.

For kids like my son, with a lack of self confidence, and a history of non-successes, this is perfect. The school matches the activity to the student, and as my son has a hard time with personal interactions, an animal encounter is golden. His confidence will rise, and then look out world LOL.

It's nice that Big J's school fixed him up with a volunteering experience. We have been finding thngs for Maddie to do for her hours. She did special project for her elementary school librarian. She volunteered for PTA at Registration. She worked at the food bank.

Hemopet has been the nicest fit for her. She enjoys working with the dogs, she likes the responsibility she has been given and she likes the fact that she can see the changes in the dogs becasue of her volunteering.

minimetoo26 wrote:Stephen has always been the type to go around the neighborhood with two bags--one for trash, and one for recycling. He was asked when he was in first grade if he was doing it for the Scouts or some other organization, and he replied he was doing it because it needed to be done (especially around the construction sites--I guess the beer-drinking kids like having a Port-o-Potty for their girlfriends?) Now he goes out in his kayak after storms and cleans up the stuff that gets washed into the waterways.

The problem is his school has a requirement for community service, but the form has to be signed by an organization, so he usually just goes on the trips arranged by the school to get his hours. I have to see if I can find a way for him to get credit for what he already does now that the hours got bumped up since he's in the Upper School.

What does he do with the cans? Does he recycle them for money? Could he make an arrangement with some local organization where he does his pick ups, reclycles the cans and donates his money to their organzation and they sign off on his hours?