Building Virtue & Community Through Service Learning:
Service Learning is fundamental to Almondale Academy’s curriculum and it is one of the ways we are different from other schools. Almondale prides itself in being one of the only schools where the curriculum is rooted in service learning. The flourishes of character development at Almondale enables students to establish a harmonious and congenial environment on campus and off. Below you will see how Almondale students implement communication, mediation skills, and giving of themselves to the community.
Weekly student class meetings discuss and evaluate campus behavior & community service options. Groups take the time to practice virtuous behavior and evaluate non-virtuous behaviors on campus. This is a time where students focus on a particular virtue of that week and put it into action by skits or role playing. (Having already become familiar with the virtue through its implementation throughout the year in their curriculum). At these meetings students are also given tips and ideas on interpersonal communications, while also teaching them how to dialogue and arbitrate. (For example; students have been taught the “I-statements”.)
Lastly, our service learning is implemented into community service, which is student driven. Students research and vote on how best to serve their local community. Projects are developed and implemented during each six-week virtue session. Assisting at the Orangevale Food Bank, the Almond Residence Home and Orangevale Parks and Recreation in beautifying Almond park are a few of the projects that have been employed by the students. This years project is beautifying our own campus by cleaning, sanding and painting our play grounds.
These democratic meetings, enactments, healthy discussions and conversation techniques enable students to establish camaraderie and self-expression. Using virtues and leadership they utilize these skills, grown and developed on campus, to serve the community.
Below are some of the many community service activities the students have engaged in.
Acts of Service
- Students visit Almond Ave. Residence Home to entertain, converse with and play games with the residents.
- Students assist in the beautification of Almond Park by clean up, planting trees and painting fences.
- Students volunteer & collect donations for the Orangevale Food Bank
- Students send Valentines to hospitalized children.
- Students collect items for Christmas stockings for children in need.
- Students write letters to stroke patients.
- Students take responsibility for the campus in caring for the animals, and maintenance tasks.
The many benefits of service learning can be found at the listed websites below or ask us when you come for a tour.
Character.Org
University of Minnesota,
generationon.org
Almondale is a private school that serves: Sacramento, Carmichael, Orangevale, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Granite Bay and Fair Oaks.