The plan is simple. Students, teachers, and parents are invited to step forward as group leaders if they have ideas for interesting service projects. They only need to commit to 5 sessions that are spread out over several months (in our case, we used our homebase period approximately every other week). Students give preferences and are assigned to a group, and they work collaboratively with that group for each session. At the end, we schedule one more session for each group to share out their work, and for celebration!

And for the third year in a row, Homebase Salk had a lot to celebrate!  I’m so proud of each of the groups who pursued their passions, worked well with each other, and did something for others. Congratulations on the following accomplishments:

• The Fleece Fun Team made blankets and pillows to donate to the animals at the MSPCA (Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). This group was entirely led by 5th grade students.

• The Duct Tape and Patience Team (otherwise known as Taking Your Time is Not a Crime) made lots of duct tape products to sell as part of our class fundraiser. The 6th graders who led this team also taught their group about people with disabilities and decided to give their proceeds to benefit this population.

• The Inclusive Recess Games Team made an impressive book of 15 games that can be played at recess with little or no fancy equipment. All of their games are good for many players, allowing many kids to play together and get to make new friends.

• The Cartooning for IACS Team is putting together a book of cartoons which are funny and also teach readers about our school’s four social outcomes: community membership, problem solving, effective communication, and self direction.

• The 3D Animal Art Team worked with a variety of materials (origami, rock painting, clay, and pipe cleaners) to make animal art for a fundraiser.

• The Video Marketing Team made a video to advertise our upcoming art sale, putting together the work of the other groups. Can you possibly watch this video and not want to know more?

Each team accomplished a lot, and I’m so proud. A big THANK YOU to our parent volunteers: Kathy, Robin, and Karen and our teacher helpers: Mr. Bresnahan and Mr. Mac. We couldn’t have done it without you. And now for the big question: can we possibly beat this with next year’s service teams?!