For the week of March before spring break each year, Upper School students focus on giving back through Service Week. Every student chooses from a list of projects led by Shorecrest staff sponsors. The latest issue of "The Chronicle", the Upper School Newspaper, highlighted each project available. Here's what the journalism students had to report:
Local Service Projects
Act Locally
Act Locally, sponsored by Ms. Stevens, is a new minimester this year that has a goal of educating our community about issues such as hunger, poverty, illness and homelessness. Throughout this minimester, the volunteers will learn about these issues and help people who struggle with them at organizations such as the St. Pete Free Clinic, Salvation Army, Suncoast Hospice and Habitat for Humanity. ~ senior Sara W
American Red Cross
Many say practice makes perfect. Well, that is not always the case, simply because only perfect practice makes perfect. This year’s Red Cross service week will follow a similar path to years past. Students in Dean Sessions’ and Mrs. Newton’s minimester are taking on the task of teacher. First the volunteers will learn basic safety courses from the American Red Cross workers. The courses learned will be taught to local elementary children. These courses include First Aid for Children Today (basic first aid), Scrubby Bear (disease prevention and infection control), Whales Tales (a water-safety course), and basic Disaster Preparedness. ~ senior Anthony F
Art-Abilities
This year, Mr. Leavengood is sponsoring Art-Abilities. In Art-Abilities, students will be leading theater improvisation workshops with Shorecrest’s 1st- 4th graders and doing art projects with PARC clients. Students will be the teachers and the adults involved will only be there in case of an emergency. At the end of the week, Mr. Leavengood will name a “teacher of the week.” At night, students in the group will see local performances of live shows. It’s sure to be a creative week! ~ senior Alice D
Bayou Brigade
The Bayou Brigade’s goal is to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and citizens about the importance of estuaries and the effect of garbage on them. With a fee of $90, students can gain up to 20 hours of community service. Under the direction Ms. Peck and Mr. Napodano, the Bayou Brigade will visit the Clam Bayou Retention Pond Cleanup & Solid Waste-Recycling facility, the USF Marine Research Center at Clam Bayou, Weedon Island, and even Ft. DeSoto. “Last year was great! We even got to go canoeing and pick up garbage in the water!” says excited Shorecrest student Taylor D. ~ sophomore Carrington L
College Application Essays & Clean Up Pinellas
Returning for its second year, the College Application Writing week combines both an academic necessity and community service. Led by Mal Ellenburg, the students will workshop college essays, leading to at least one completed essay during the week. The students will also clean up various areas of St. Petersburg, including Boyd Hill Nature Park and the 54th Avenue ditch. ~ senior Karim O.
Cook & Serve
The Cook and Serve project has been a reliable source of community service for many years. This year, Latin teacher Mr. Wells is in charge with the help of guidance counselor/psychology teacher Dr. Hamilton. They will prepare recipes and meals for the Ronald McDonald House and Hope Lodge. The students will first use the LCC kitchen to learn the basics of cooking, and also to prepare the meals for the organizations who need it. They will then go to the organizations to serve the food that they made. Later in the week, they will visit the Sweetwater Organic Farm to learn about where our food comes from, and who harvests it.
Mr. Wells said the highlights of the week will be “the work we do at the farm as well as the time the students will spend interacting with the patients at the Hope Lodge, learning their stories and all that they will have gone through. And additionally, the students are responsible for setting the menu for the week and showing their creative side.” It’s going to be a delicious week for everyone! ~ senior Christian J.
Empty Bowls
The Empty Bowls Project has dedicated time to raise money for a local organization that assists in feeding individuals who have no other food source. Under the reins of Mr. Sober and Sra. Powers, some students will adopt this project to increase awareness about hunger in St. Petersburg. Hunger in our area is becoming an increasingly problematic issue, especially with the current local, state and national economy. Empty Bowls is a world-wide event created to feed people in the world who may be less fortunate than others.
Participants of the project volunteer their time to make ceramic bowls. These bowls are thrown on a pottery wheel, fired and glazed. Later, guests are invited for a fundraising dinner, where the bowls are used in serving the individual servings of soup. The invited guests keep the bowl they choose to use and then are urged to donate for the cause. Through this process, money is raised and then donated to either a local, national, or world-wide organization. In our case, all the proceeds will be given to the Food Bank of the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. ~ senior Anthony F
Fur, Feathers, and Friends
Fur, Feathers and Friends is a service program to benefit animals in need. It is run by English teacher Mr. Seymour, and students will be traveling to local organizations such as Southeastern Guide Dogs, SPCA of Tampa Bay, and the Great Ape Sanctuary. The students who participate will get around 10 to 12 service hours. They will be providing care for wild animals and conservation of their habitat as well as adoption and care for domestic animals and homeless pets. ~ senior Christian J.
Great Explorations Children’s Museum
Sponsored by Sra. Andres, students will be volunteering at the preschool program at Great Explorations in St Petersburg. They will be spending their time making crafts for activities in the morning, and then spending the day in the school. On some days they will be assisting teachers in the morning and running interactive activities on the museum floor during the afternoon. ~ senior Mark D.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is back again for another exciting year of helping the community! As always, the students will be working with the Habitat for Humanities Pinellas chapter and doing anything from building walls of a house to basic cleaning. Last year, Habitat for Humanity laid sod in the backyard of a house and helped build the interior walls of another house! While it is yet to be determined what exactly the students will be doing to help this year, Mr. Field, the minimester’s sponsor, is excited for another year of learning new things and watching students learn new things about construction. ~ senior Alice D
Hands-On/Minds-On St. Pete
Through Hands on-Minds On, sponsored by Sra. Pallares, volunteers gain exclusive access to important organizations in St. Pete. Students will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects that are identified with hunger, homelessness, families, animals, elderly and veterans. By the end of the week, students will develop skills to become future student leaders for Shorecrest and the organizations that that school partners with. ~ senior Sara W
Housing For Disabled Veterans
Students will build shelter for Disabled Veterans who can’t afford it. The sponsor in charge is Ms. Stevens, and this cause is very important to her. The students who participate will earn 16 - 20 hours of service, and help prepare a few homes. They are working with the Abilities Foundation and with funding from the Home Depot Foundation. Usually this work consists of exterior painting and landscaping. Ms. Stevens said the highlight of the week will be “that a disabled veteran will get to live in an accessible home.” She added, “Frank DeLucia of the Abilities Foundation is grateful that Shorecrest student groups have volunteered for the past three years.” ~ senior Christian J.
Mural Painting
Ms. Gaglio will be leading a group of twelve students down to the Lower School to paint the outside wall of the exploratorium. They will also paint an inside hallway. Although they are still waiting on approval from the Lower School administration, they have the idea for a mural that encompasses things going from tiny cells, to spaceships in outer space, with many things in-between. They will earn twenty service hours, and will transform the blank walls of the Lower School to works of art. ~ senior Mark D.
Ready for Life Helpers
Ready for Life Helpers, led by Ms. Burke and Mrs. Baralt, will assist multiple organizations and learn about men, women, and children who are less fortunate in the Bay area. The activities include organizing, sorting, and folding clothes, purchasing, then packaging meals for children, and more helpful and fun activities. ~ sophomore Carrington L
Save Our Seabirds
This year, Shorecrest offers a brand new service program called “Save Our Seabirds.” Students involved will travel to Sarasota and work at Save our Seabirds, and help in projects ranging from painting to wildlife rehabilitation. Students will be helping out workers all week and have the opportunity to nurture sick or injured animals back to health. ~ sophomore Carrington L
Veterans Projects
Mrs. Schneider’s Veterans minimester will be working at Bay Pines Veterans Hospital, and will be working to care for and interact with the veterans. They will be assisting the hospital in caring for the veterans. They will also be able to talk and listen to the many stories of each veteran, and have the opportunity to be enriched by the infinite wisdom of our country’s heroes. ~ senior Mark D.
Young Women for Women and Children
Young Women for Young Women and children, hosted by Ms. Bartlett, is an all-girls service group that will help guide the poverty-stricken lives of women and children to a more healthier and independent living. These girls will cook and serve lunch at the Ronald McDonald House. Other organizations at which they will volunteer include the Salvation Army, YWCA Daycare Center, YWCA Family Village, Alpha House and Clothes for Kids, although these plans are tentative. Last year, this group played with the little children at the Community Preschool along with cleaning up its playground garden and also cleaned houses at the Sally House. ~ senior Sara W.
National Service Projects
Great Smokey Mountains Adventure
The Great Smokey Mountain trip is going on its third year. Mr. Murphy and Mr. Schneider take a group of boys camping in the heart of the Smokey Mountains. According to sponsor Mr. Murphy, the boys will be “working with National Park Serviceman Paul Bogart. The boys are expected to build campsites and prepare other sites for the opening of camping season. The volunteers will be working on Elkmont Campground, which is located in the heart of the the great Smokey Mountains. On top of eight hours of hard labor intensive work, tent camping will be done.”
For those who are unaware, the heart of the Smokeys can reach cold temperatures that can get down to the teens, like it did a couple of years ago. Finally, to top off the trip, a 639-mile road trip to and from the mountains will be enjoyed. ~ senior Anthony F
PV/NNF Service & Camping
Mr. Steele is leading a group of girls on a backpacking tour in North Carolina. Starting in Panthertown, the girls will backpack across a trail in Natahalla National Park, while helping maintain the trails. Mr Steele believes this will be a great experience for the girls. “For most of these girls, this will be a once-ina-lifetime experience, so it will be cool to see how they react.” ~ senior Karim O.
Service Week in Charleston, SC
Mr. Heller will be taking a group of students on a trip to Charleston for service and historical education. They will be working to clean such historical sites as Fort Sumter and Fort Moultre. They will spend a few days at the Porter-Gaude school, assisting in the daycare program, and then helping move the South Carolina Historical Society to its new building. Other notable places they will visit is the CSN Hunley, a former Confederate submarine, the College of Charleston, the Citadel, and a scheduled ghost tour. ~ senior Mark D.
International Service Projects
Argentina
For the first year, a group of boys and girls are going on a service trip to Argentina. The group accompanied by Mr. Wahlgren, Mr. Dillow, and Mrs. Anderson will be working at a technical school in Bonpland and helping with different agricultural projects. Mr. Wahlgren explained what he hopes to accomplish.”We hope to get a cultural immersion going with our students and their’s while helping them with their agriculture projects.” Junior Petu S is excited for the trip.”It’s exciting to become friends with the people going on my trip and meet teenagers like me that live in other conditions.” ~ senior Karim O.
Costa Rica
Hosted by Mr. Beaton, the Costa Rica trip will work with the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation in La Carpio, a slum city that is right outside of the capital, San José. Working from 9am-3pm, this service group will paint houses and murals, mix cement for floors of homes that have dirt floors, pick up trash, patch holes in the roads and, of course, work and play with the young children at the local day care center. Some projects that they have done in the past include making solar lamps out of two-liter soda bottles and dish gardens to add life and color to the homes and neighborhood of La Carpio. They will live with the middle class families in Heredia, a university town in Costa Rica. Outside of the service, the afternoons will consist of watching movies, attending salsa dance classes and touring Heredia. The group will also visit a coffee plantation, located on the slopes of Poas, an active volcano.
At the end of the week, they will head north to La Fortuna at the base of the Arenal volcano, where they will play in the thermal hot springs and go on an amazing zip-line journey! ~ senior Sara W.
French Service & Exchange
This year marks the 21st year of Shorecrest’s educational partnership with Lycée Pierre Bayen. Students will travel to Châlons-en-Champange, France, where they will learn about French culture, stay with a French host family, and perform some service with the Croix Rouge (Red Cross) and the Croix de Malte (similar to Meals on Wheels). Students will also get to help out in English classes at Lycée Pierre Bayen. Students will enjoy trips around Châlons-en-Champange and a neighboring city, Reims. Madame Carnes looks forward to this exchange every year and is excited to send another group of students to France! ~ senior Alice D.
