Service Day

We have our annual Service Day on Thursday, 25th May. This is a wonderful opportunity for all students to give their time in service to the community. Service Day has become an important part of what we do as a college, and it has the potential to promote the values that the College stands for, as well as providing our students with an insight into the needs of others in society. However it is important that activities are well planned in advance, whether a student is organising their own activity, or contributing to an activity arranged by the school. For our students – please start thinking NOW about what you would be able to do on Service Day.

In 2016 we trialled a new arrangement, by which students in Years 7 and 8 took part in a school-based programme on that day. We expect that this arrangement will continue for 2017. The programme will still involve being of service to others but Year 7 and 8 students will not need to find their own service opportunities in the community.

For students in Years 9 – 13 Service Day will be organised as before. Some students, with the help of family or friends, are able to find projects they can work on for the day. It is important that these tasks are not things like staying at home tidying a room, or going to a parent’s workplace for the day (unless they are actually involved in some charitable work). Your child may need some help in finding suitable worthwhile service work in the community and we ask that you as parents guide them towards such worthwhile projects. You may have contacts in the community, or know of people that your child can help. We want you to think of people who are in genuine need, and we recommend that students spend at least four hours in giving this unpaid service to the community.

Some staff will be organising projects and will be looking for students to “sign up” for these projects. The school is also contacting many retirement villages, schools, charities and other organisations, and we will soon be able to publish a list of projects that students could become involved in. In addition our College Committees and House leaders are being asked to contribute to this list of tasks, focussing on their areas of interest. We hope to have lists of organised activities available in Week Two of next term.

If you represent, or have contact with, an organisation or charity that could make use of student help on Service Day, could you please contact the school (email: vshaw@aquinas.school.nz) as soon as possible and let us know what the nature of the job is and how many students would be required.

In the meantime, please enter the date – May 25th – onto your calendars. Since this is in Week 4 of the Second Term it is important that Year 9 – 13 students start thinking now about what they might do on Service Day.