Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Secretary's Day Gifts
On Secretary's Day the Andromeda team (Social Voice students) wanted to congratulate all secretaries on campus. In order to appreciate their hard work the team decorated pots and baskets that were then filled with snacks, candy and small gifts. The goal was to make their day sweeter. Students like Stephany, Dayana, Marbella, Patricia, Melissa and Diana led the group of students who all pitched in and helped turn this idea into a reality. (You can hear more about this in our Community Connection podcast)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Books for the Children's Hospital
Ten students created books that we will deliver to the Phoenix Children's Hospital. After creating a book, Yessica wrote the following service reflection:
by Yessica
What I have done is create a book for the children's hospital. I realize that they have books, but this seems like something that would tell them that we care about them and we're going to take our time to do something creative for them. Reading a homemade book is a great way to distract yourself when times are painful or boring. I created a book because, knowing how much they have suffered, this seemed like a way they could enjoy themselves. I won't be allowed to visit, but I can imagine their smiles. I was proud of myself. It felt good to help others.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Reflections on my Flower Pot
Students created flower pots that we will deliver to a nursing home within a few months. Mackenzie wrote a service reflection about the experience.
My flower pot represents happiness. The flower pot has a blue sky and flowers. When the recipient looks at my flower pot I want him or her to feel happy and calm. Hopefully when they feel bad, they'll look at it and be happy again. even though it has one flower on it, it should still be effective. I want this to go to someone special.
I know it seems like it's just an art project, but it made me think about life and death. It made me think about the way people live and the way we treat the elderly. Hopefully this small thing can make a difference.
My flower pot represents happiness. The flower pot has a blue sky and flowers. When the recipient looks at my flower pot I want him or her to feel happy and calm. Hopefully when they feel bad, they'll look at it and be happy again. even though it has one flower on it, it should still be effective. I want this to go to someone special.
I know it seems like it's just an art project, but it made me think about life and death. It made me think about the way people live and the way we treat the elderly. Hopefully this small thing can make a difference.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Social Art Collective
Everyday at lunch, we have the Social Art Collective. The main premise is to express our social voice collectively through art. Our goal is to blend the ideas of service with the methods of art. Every art project includes a service project mixed with it. For example, we work on a Paper Border Project while also doing a supply drive for immigrant groups.
Our Purpose:
Art with advocacy, awareness and action
Characteristics:
Our Purpose:
Art with advocacy, awareness and action
Characteristics:
- Use as many renewable and recycled resources (dang, we're really into alliteration today!) This means we are creating the Paper Border with all previously used paper products. We are creating collages with old magazine pictures.
- Anyone can participate and no single individual can take sole credit. At the same time, individuals can put their own individual flavor in each project.
- Every work must have a social-centered viewpoint. In other words, the art is not for sheer aesthetics, but rather it exists for the purpose of advocacy, action and awareness
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Book Drive
Our students donated 107 books to the Phoenix Public Library. We want students throughout Phoenix to learn more through reading. It was a group effort, with many students donating just a few books, but together we accomplished something great. If the library doesn't use the books, they will sell them at the VNSA book sale and the money to charity. This is just one small example of how we can speak our social voice to the community through an act of service.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Double-Header of Hope
by Keyvan
Last weekend I spent my Saturday helping out my community. I was helping out at the Double Header of Hope, a project organized by the Social Awareness Club. I helped out at a food bank and at a youth home base. When I was at the food bank we were helping by putting food into bags and putting clothes on tables. We were also giving out candy bars, water,and Gatorades to the people waiting in line. We were doing something good for all of the people who needed it a lot.
We did really well at the home base by cooking for the kids that were in there. We had some fun there to by messing around with Mr. Lucero. We had to cook some enchiladas and refried beans.When we finished we had to serve them as well. When they finished eating I washed the dishes. It was funny because the water faucet was broken and the water came out on its own and it wet me.
Even though it was all day long it felt good because we did something good for the community. It was a great reminder that service can be difficult, but it can also be fun! If you aren't someone who normally does volunteer work, you might want to consider it.
Photo Credits
Flickr Creative Commons
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Semester of Service
by Stephany
I volunteered in many different activities throughout the duration of the second quarter that improved my thinking abilities and compassion for others. The first event I was a major part of was the preparation for our own play, a few of the tasks I completed were the sketches. It was a great feeling when we gazed upon the finished result of the home during the Holocaust. Not only that, but we symbolically expressed what great torture millions of people lived through. If by the end of this play we impact the lives' of many people and inform them how horrible it was for many of our ancestors among us, we would look at things nowadays differently.
Planning for the future date of secretary appreciation day has also been one of my priorities that during its process has made me reflect upon life at a greater extent. One of the lessons I've learned has been, every person amongst us has an occupation which makes them ordinary, but the person who strives and lives day by day with the effort of improving the lives of others is to be honored. Our secretaries fulfill this very statement, with no doubt they deserve all we have planned for them and if possible the mentioning of their support on a daily basis. I will absolutely love to carry on this act with me in my future years because with an act like this we are changing the world bit by bit.
I volunteered in many different activities throughout the duration of the second quarter that improved my thinking abilities and compassion for others. The first event I was a major part of was the preparation for our own play, a few of the tasks I completed were the sketches. It was a great feeling when we gazed upon the finished result of the home during the Holocaust. Not only that, but we symbolically expressed what great torture millions of people lived through. If by the end of this play we impact the lives' of many people and inform them how horrible it was for many of our ancestors among us, we would look at things nowadays differently.
Planning for the future date of secretary appreciation day has also been one of my priorities that during its process has made me reflect upon life at a greater extent. One of the lessons I've learned has been, every person amongst us has an occupation which makes them ordinary, but the person who strives and lives day by day with the effort of improving the lives of others is to be honored. Our secretaries fulfill this very statement, with no doubt they deserve all we have planned for them and if possible the mentioning of their support on a daily basis. I will absolutely love to carry on this act with me in my future years because with an act like this we are changing the world bit by bit.
Friday, November 7, 2008
a few service reflections
The following are some service reflections students wrote. They wrote cards, painted pots for the nursing home, visited food banks and other activities that helped the community.
Donovon:
It felt good cause I am helping the community. Why wouldn't it feel good because you are helping? When I was volunteering, I was doing touch ups on the mural. Also we were doing Veterans Day cards. We are sending the cards to the veterans in the hospital that are hurt right now. So that is cool you know it feels good to do all that good stuff, even when the things seem small at first.
Isaac:
Well I have to adimit that I thought that this was boring and just another assginment.But apperantly I was wrong. It was actually more than that. The thought alone was prettty much a powerful message. But to know the way how I helped my community, that was reward enough. Who knows maybe later on I will volunteer on my own outside of school.
Donovon:
It felt good cause I am helping the community. Why wouldn't it feel good because you are helping? When I was volunteering, I was doing touch ups on the mural. Also we were doing Veterans Day cards. We are sending the cards to the veterans in the hospital that are hurt right now. So that is cool you know it feels good to do all that good stuff, even when the things seem small at first.
Isaac:
Well I have to adimit that I thought that this was boring and just another assginment.But apperantly I was wrong. It was actually more than that. The thought alone was prettty much a powerful message. But to know the way how I helped my community, that was reward enough. Who knows maybe later on I will volunteer on my own outside of school.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
helping at the food bank
Students on Saturday, September 20th, students in Social Voice volunteered at the West Side Food Bank.
To imagine my mom hugging me as shiver with hunger. To imagine us begging for food on the side of the street. It's a terror screaming nightmare. Yet everyday around the world it's happening. I give my best wishes and hopes to those who are going through such a vast rough patch. I couldn't put myself in their shoes.
When Mr.Spencer announced that we were going to be doing community service at the St. Marys Food Bank, I couldn't wait to join. Two of my teachers and a couple of my peers and myself, got to the Food Bank bright and early at 8:00am to start work immediately. Once there, one lady gave us a brief history about St.Marys Food Bank then put us right to work. We started off Packing 'Bonus Boxes' where there had to be two things of bread, one pastry, and veggies. Things were going slow with that, but some of my peers were working hard in the chilling freezer where they had to unpack dairy, meat, and ice cream then pack them into boxes in limited time. Then in the last 2 hours or so, work picked up and I was moving.
It felt incredibly warm to know that I was working hard for those who are less fortunate then me. Not only did we work hard and do something good, we also had a great time. That's the best part. This experience was one of a lifetime and I would gladly do it again.
-Antonese
To imagine my mom hugging me as shiver with hunger. To imagine us begging for food on the side of the street. It's a terror screaming nightmare. Yet everyday around the world it's happening. I give my best wishes and hopes to those who are going through such a vast rough patch. I couldn't put myself in their shoes.
When Mr.Spencer announced that we were going to be doing community service at the St. Marys Food Bank, I couldn't wait to join. Two of my teachers and a couple of my peers and myself, got to the Food Bank bright and early at 8:00am to start work immediately. Once there, one lady gave us a brief history about St.Marys Food Bank then put us right to work. We started off Packing 'Bonus Boxes' where there had to be two things of bread, one pastry, and veggies. Things were going slow with that, but some of my peers were working hard in the chilling freezer where they had to unpack dairy, meat, and ice cream then pack them into boxes in limited time. Then in the last 2 hours or so, work picked up and I was moving.
It felt incredibly warm to know that I was working hard for those who are less fortunate then me. Not only did we work hard and do something good, we also had a great time. That's the best part. This experience was one of a lifetime and I would gladly do it again.
-Antonese
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It Takes a Village
There is great symbolism in this. The path represents the pathway of education that lasts for a lifetime. In the distant is the city skyline of Phoenix, a reminder that the whole community has contributed to our education. Each of the boxes will include pictures of people who help contribute to a child's education.
The following pictures are from when it was still a work in progress. It took us a little over one quarter to finish it.
In addition to the mural, we had specific projects connected to the "It Takes a Village" concept. These included:
-A thank you barbecue where IMPACT students served the support staff at Borman
-A thank you blog where students shared their educational goals and mentioned how people helped contribute to their education
-Thank you letters written by students and given to people who have helped make their education possible
Paper Border Project
This project is still a work in progress. It's not really a mural, so much as a three-dimensional art project. On the front side (here) we still need to add detail work to the statue of liberty and to the scenes on the left and right. The statue of liberty represents immigration and the scene on the left is Ellis Island. The scene on the right is the dessert and represents immigration now. On the back, we have created a mock border and we'll have one hand print to represent each person who has died crossing the border in the last year.
We chose to create the border entirely out of paper (with starch to create paper machet and with a little duct tape to make it work.) We chose this, becuase it is often the legal barrier (the papers) that creates the biggest barrier for immigrants. By far this is the most controversial of all the visual arts projects we have created. It's still a work in progress and we're still trying to figure out how to improve the structural aspects of it.flower power
One of the most popular projects we did included community service and creativity. Students painted flower pots for residents in an assisted living nursing home. Each student added a creative element to make every pot one of a kind. The residents seemed excited about their new gifts as well! Next year, we will be giving these to a different nursing home, where can have students interview residents for our Living History podcasts. 
service hours
We ended up having over 2,000 service hours! One of the projects (which was led by the Social Awareness Club) was baking good and creating baskets for Mother's Day at a domestic violence shelter. Here are a few pictures of IMPACT students who participated:
Friday, March 28, 2008
What We Accomplished
This was just one of the many projects we have accomplished.
The following is a letter from a student explaining some of the ways the IMPACT Program has made a difference:
March 27, 2008
Dear Arizona Republic:
I'm a student at Frank Borman Middle School here in Phoenix. This school has a really bad reputation. People think we are all gangsters and taggers who terrorize the neighborhood. They see that we are poor and they think we are ghetto.
The reality is that we are actually doing a lot of projects that are helping local, national and international charities. We have what we call the Impact Program. This program teaches students many valuable skills and lessons. This program also teaches you the value of community service and how good it feels to help others. It teaches you valuable technology skills and it enables us to use our creativity to do things we never thought possible.
We have done some pretty amazing projects.I will give you a total recap on our greatest projects that helped many people or helped make some wonderful memories. We have done many projects and fundraisers that help charities all over the world and locally. We have held dances, sold candy, worked with Rollero and organized a car wash all to raise money for Life Straws in Africa. These straws can help people in Africa so that they don't have to walk so far to get clean water they can drink water through the straw and it purifies it. These straws will help save lives. So far we have raised over $1,000! We as students volunteered at the food bank after we had donated 800 cans of food. We went to the Andre House. We painted over the graffiti in our neighborhood for two straight weekends. So far, the students in our team have volunteered over 1,500 hours. Many of our projects include the Social Awareness Club and they have done over 500 hours.
It's more than just community service, though. I'm really proud of the murals that we have painted in our school. We're already on our second mural this year. It is a thank you mural to all the people who have helped make our education happen. We are also doing a memorial art project for all the people who have died crossing the border. I'm one of the many students who give up our lunch time and our before and after school time to do the book clubs, tutoring, leadership classes, newscast and other projects that we have worked on. We have designed websites, created documentaries, recorded podcasts and so many things that you don't expect a bunch of junior high kids to do.
So the reason I am writing this is that I think that the teachers and students have done some amazing things. You should check out our website at thesocialvoice.com/impact or even just check out our online magazine at thesocialvoice.com. And if you think that what we have done is cool, you should do a story about us. I want the community to see that there are many students who care and who want to change things in our city and in our world.
Sincerely:
Andromeda Student
Friday, March 14, 2008
List of Projects - 4th Quarter
SERVICE LEARNING
School-wide recycling program
Food Drive - FINISHED - over 800 cans of food!
Life Straws - We have raised over $1,000 so far!
Andre House - FINISHED
Grafitti Busting -FINISHED
Project Social Voice
Flower Power
The “Thank You” Project
Community Garage Sale
Weekend Projects – Every Saturday
Crochet Blankets – Daily
Individual Community Service Hours - OVER 1,500 HOURS SO FAR!
Advocacy - Letters to Politicians - 200 DONE SO FAR!
MULTIMEDIA / TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
Modern History Museum
Podcasts
Social Voice Newscast
Social Voice Website and Blog
Maintaining the Borman website
Technology-Integrated Social Studies
Face the Issues – video and podcast
Face the Issues - Election Guide Website – FINISHED
Voices of the Border Blog
My Life Website and Portfolio – FINISHED
Video: Our Social Voice
Documentary #1 - September 11th (Untitled)
Documentary #2 - In Coke We Trust
Short Film – Untitled
Short Film - Borders
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Anonymous Voice – a new issue twice a month
Book Club - reading Night
Social Voice articles
After-School Peer Math Tutoring
Student Leadership Team - plans the events
CREATIVE PROJECTS
Mural #1 - Astronaut - FINISHED
Mural #2 - It Takes a Village
Photography / Photodocumentaries
Paper Border Project
EVENTS
Thank you event - a breakfast for classified staff
End of the Year
Andromeda Team Night
Garage Sale
Career Day
Movie Nights
Weekly Schedule - 4th Quarter
Monday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Photography Team
After: Painting the Mural
Tuesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club
After: Painting the Mural
Wednesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Flower Power
After: Painting the Mural
Thursday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club
Friday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Leadership Team
After: Painting the Mural
Saturday
Service Project each weekend
Ideas Include:
Second car wash
Garage Sale
Taping the “Borders” movie
Campus Beautification
Visiting the VA hospital
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Photography Team
After: Painting the Mural
Tuesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club
After: Painting the Mural
Wednesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Flower Power
After: Painting the Mural
Thursday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club
Friday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Leadership Team
After: Painting the Mural
Saturday
Service Project each weekend
Ideas Include:
Second car wash
Garage Sale
Taping the “Borders” movie
Campus Beautification
Visiting the VA hospital
Quarterly Update
Wow! We have done some amazing this so far!
We painted over graffiti. We visited the Andre House. We have begun the mural and it is adding beauty to our school. We'll be posting pictures of it really soon. One feature we will add to this blog is a weekly update written by one of the students. Great job students!
By The Numbers
We painted over graffiti. We visited the Andre House. We have begun the mural and it is adding beauty to our school. We'll be posting pictures of it really soon. One feature we will add to this blog is a weekly update written by one of the students. Great job students!
By The Numbers
- Service Hours: over 1,500 hours
- Cans of Food: 800
- Articles Written: over 200
- Letters Writte to Congressmen: over 200
- Money Raised for Life Straws: over $1,000
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Service Hour Totals
We have now surpassed the year-long goal of
1,000 community service hours!
Keep up the great work! We are living up to our name of IMPACT.
1,000 community service hours!
Keep up the great work! We are living up to our name of IMPACT.
Monday, January 7, 2008
List of Events and Activities
SERVICE LEARNING
School-wide recycling program
Campus Beautification / Garden
Life Straws - We have raised over $1,000 so far!
Care Packages to Soldiers
Graffiti Busting - March 1 - sponsored by Social Awareness Club
Andre House - FINISHED
Community Garage Sale
Weekend Projects – Every Saturday
Crochet Blankets - Daily
Individual Community Service Hours - OVER 1,500 HOURS SO FAR!
Advocacy - Letters to Politicians - 100 DONE SO FAR!
MULTIMEDIA / TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
Modern History Museum
Podcasts
Social Voice Newscast
Social Voice Website and Blog
Maintaining the Borman website
Technology-Integrated Social Studies
Face the Issues – video and podcast
Face the Issues - Election Guide Website
Voices of the Border Blog
My Life Website and Portfolio - FINISHED
Documentary #1 - September 11th (Untitled)
Documentary #2 - In Coke We Trust
Short Film - Untitled
Short Film - Borders
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Writing a Book - Project Social Voice
Anonymous Voice – a new issue twice a month
Book Club - reading Night
Social Voice articles
In-School Tutoring
After-School Peer Tutoring
Student Leadership Team
CREATIVE PROJECTS
Mural #2 - It Takes a Village
Photography / Photodocumentaries
Paper Border Project
EVENTS
Community Yard Sale
Movie Night - TBA
Family Night: Rollero Fundraiser Night - March 6
Field Trip #1 - State Capital
Field Trip #2 - Castles and Coasters
School-wide recycling program
Campus Beautification / Garden
Life Straws - We have raised over $1,000 so far!
Care Packages to Soldiers
Graffiti Busting - March 1 - sponsored by Social Awareness Club
Andre House - FINISHED
Community Garage Sale
Weekend Projects – Every Saturday
Crochet Blankets - Daily
Individual Community Service Hours - OVER 1,500 HOURS SO FAR!
Advocacy - Letters to Politicians - 100 DONE SO FAR!
MULTIMEDIA / TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
Modern History Museum
Podcasts
Social Voice Newscast
Social Voice Website and Blog
Maintaining the Borman website
Technology-Integrated Social Studies
Face the Issues – video and podcast
Face the Issues - Election Guide Website
Voices of the Border Blog
My Life Website and Portfolio - FINISHED
Documentary #1 - September 11th (Untitled)
Documentary #2 - In Coke We Trust
Short Film - Untitled
Short Film - Borders
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Writing a Book - Project Social Voice
Anonymous Voice – a new issue twice a month
Book Club - reading Night
Social Voice articles
In-School Tutoring
After-School Peer Tutoring
Student Leadership Team
CREATIVE PROJECTS
Mural #2 - It Takes a Village
Photography / Photodocumentaries
Paper Border Project
EVENTS
Community Yard Sale
Movie Night - TBA
Family Night: Rollero Fundraiser Night - March 6
Field Trip #1 - State Capital
Field Trip #2 - Castles and Coasters
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