DE LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

Service Learning Project

“Enter to learn, Leave to serve.”

Department of Religious Studies

Junior Relgious Studies III

Mrs. Joan MacDonald

2004-2005

Students in Mrs. MacDonald’s junior religion class went to Ygnacio Valley Elementary School (a local Title I school) as an entire class. During the first semester, her students worked in various locations around the school depending on need. The primary focus of the second semester was on second grade reading and writing. This project enables Mrs. MacDonald’s students to live out the moral prerogatives studied during the junior year religion curriculum.

Procedures: The following is a protocol for completing this service-learning project.

• At the beginning of each semester, students complete a preflection journal
• Students (as a whole class) work at Ygnacio Valley Elementary School for a block-period once each month
• Students finish the project by completing a formal reflection paper.

Evaluation: Mrs. MacDonald cites many strengths in this project, including pairing up and having “big buddies”. The younger students really benefited from positive older role-models. “My students came away with a strong sense of what it takes to teach young people who have a variety of learning styles. They also saw kids with very different backgrounds from their own,” notes Mrs. MacDonald. She plans to continue incorporating this project in her curriculum. In fact, she wishes she could bring her students more often. She writes, “the students at both schools loved it, and the kids at YVE obviously benefited from my students’ presence.”

Preflection: Prior to the start of each semester’s service, students complete a preflection journal. No specific details were provided by Mrs. MacDonald.

Reflection: Students completed a 2-page typed reflection on the entire year’s experience. They will also share what made the biggest impact on them and where they felt they made the biggest difference. They also wrote brief reflections after each visit.