MD S-L

The Casady Service Learning Program aligns with the School mission to develop excellence, confidence, and integrity in students. Through Service Learning, it aims to empower Cyclones to realize their potential to make a difference in the community in mind, body, and spirit.

The Middle Division incorporates SEE (Service Exploration Experiences), Service Club, International Club, religious education classes, and the School’s traditional “house system” to provide academic outreach. Students develop relationships within the surrounding community and serve at Andrew Johnson Elementary, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, Brookdale/Tuscany senior facilities, and others. Proceeds from weekly donut sales provide scholarships at Bishop McAllister College for Ugandan orphan children, which is a project facilitated through Father Tim Sean Youmans’ religious education classes. “Middle Division seeks to empower students for Upper Division servant leadership, a portrait of service and integrity.”  Mrs. Cherylynn O’melia, SEE Period Coordinator’17

More information about the Casady Service Learning Program HERE

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice

Meaningful Service Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities.	Link to Curriculum Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards.	Reflection Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.	Diversity Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants.
Youth Voice Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults.	Partnerships Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs.	Progress Monitoring Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability.	Duration and Intensity Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes

Selected Service Stories

MD International Club screening of "Girl Rising"
Proceeds sent a girl to sister school Bishop McAllister College
in the school year 2015-

The Rev. Canon Paul Jeffries, Headmaster of Bishop McAllister College and School in Bushenyi-Kyogyera, Uganda, spoke Monday, 3/2/103 in Middle and Upper Division Chapels. The Middle Division Chapel and International clubs organize bake sales to raise funds to support the tuition of six students at the Uganda school. Canon Jeffries shared stories from his school and sent greetings from those students who benefit from Casady's Middle Division project. He is pictured with members of Casady's Chapel and International clubs, who are holding photos and letters from the six students at Bishop McAllister School. Casady students will make care packages with letters, photos, and school supplies to share with their new friends in Uganda.

Humane Society board of grade 7 persuasive essays for the Valentine adoption event.

Students were assigned a friendly letter review assignment for March 4, National Hug A GI Day.  The letters were given to Blue Star Mothers of Edmond. Each letter went in a care package for current service men, and former Veterans in the Veterans' Nursing Home. 

Mrs. Omelia's Class: National Hug A GI Day

Grade seven students also wrote soldier appreciation essays which were sent with care packages by the Blue Star Mothers of Edmond chapter. This community service outreach essay assignment for March 4 "National Hug A GI Day". 

Friday's SEE Period at Nichols Hills Elementary

We enjoyed the classroom visits very much.  All the primary teachers and students were most cordial and responsive to the storybook sharing time.  The seventh graders came back to Casady very excited about their experiences! We appreciate the opportunity to visit your school and read to your youngsters.  Mrs. O'Melia

Thank you for coming to read to my students!  I hope that all went well.  I had to leave the building to return our writing tests, so I apologize for not staying with you.  Kim Iraggi

Pictures of the visit  by Mrs. Briana Titus @  https://drive.google.com/a/casady.org/folderview?id=0B7431J95O_PKN0xybXJUZWpRUDg&usp=sharing# 

Quail Creek Nursing Center - 7th Grade Community Experience

Students enjoyed visiting residents and reading them their story books.  Residents were delighted to have young visitors.   Grade 7th students created a "Wordle" with adjectives about their experience.  Mrs. Omelia

Slide Show at https://drive.google.com/a/casady.org/folderview?id=0B7431J95O_PKUGd5NFJWWjJ6cEU&usp=sharing.  Pictures by Ms. Briana Titus.  Pictures from our SEE Period trip to Quail Creek Nursing Center. The seventh grade students read the storybooks they created for Ms. O'Melia's English class to some of the people living in the center. Both the students and their listeners were moved to tears at times and a number of our kids would like to go back on their own time, Ms. Titus.



The Volunteer Assignment

In The Giver Jonas and the other Twelves are required to do volunteer hours prior to The Ceremony of Twelve. Jonas and his classmates volunteer at The House of the Old, The Recreation Center, The Nurturing Center, The Childcare Center, and other places to discover their aptitudes and interests. Your assignment is to volunteer too. You may choose where, when, and in what way you wish to volunteer in the community. Here are some ideas:

***ALL OF THE IDEAS BELOW ARE TO BE DONE WITH ADULT SUPERVISION AND

APPROVAL!

Nursing Home Activities:

• sing, do a skit with a friend, do a puppet show, visit with an elderly person from your church

• bake something for an elderly neighbor or relative in a home

• make a card or cards and pass out to residents

Elderly in Community:

• do yard work or clean for an elderly relative or neighbor

• bake something for a lonely older neighbor or relative

• make a card or cards and give to elderly

Volunteer at Church:

 • help with games

• help with snacks

• help with passing out papers and lessons 

Volunteer at a Food Bank:

• Stuff grocery bags

• Organize shelves

• Do whatever tasks are needed

You may also use your own volunteer ideas if desired.

Type a five paragraph essay with a clear three point thesis about your experiences. You must have photo attached!

Organization and # of hrs. worked: __________________________________________

Signature of parent or supervisor: __________________________________________

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice

Meaningful Service Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities.	Link to Curriculum Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards.	Reflection Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.	Diversity Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants.
Youth Voice Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults.	Partnerships Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs.	Progress Monitoring Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability.	Duration and Intensity Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes

 

Daniel S.

English 7, Green

November 10, 2013

Volunteering is a nice way to use your time.
A volunteer can bring a smile to someone’s face or enable him or her to live another day. I helped a nonprofit military support group called the Blue Star Mothers of America, Chapter eight, Edmond/ North OKC. During my volunteer experience I filled Christmas stockings, packed care packages, and learned about our military troops.

The first thing I did when I arrived was put candy and gum in Christmas stockings. Most of the candies were things like Skittles or Orbit gum, but there were more exotic pieces like Napoleons, little round sour hard candies. All of the stockings were homemade using tawdry pieces of holiday cloth. The unassuming treats we packed will help prevent the ravages of flavorless MREs.

The next thing I did was help pack care packages to be mailed to deployed troops. The Blue Star Mothers prepare boxes with food and personal items that will give energy and motivation to haggard soldiers so they can parry enemy attacks better. Sending care packages helps to convey our thanks for the danger they endure. To some, packing boxes to help soldiers is the acme of their day, but others find such menial labor is belittling. A problem with sending boxes, though, is that some soldiers may try to steal items in the packages. These people do not waver in their predatory ways to get more treats.

Lastly, I learned about our military troops. One of the mothers talked about her deployed son. She showed another volunteer a picture of her son receiving a care package. His was so happy; his stance was jaunty because this was the juncture of his day. The boxes we packed are to be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan, and the leftover goods will be given out at the Soldiers’ Day Out Christmas party. In the back of the packing room there was a poster with some of the doctrines of military life on it. They were: don’t be a turncoat, don’t wallow in defeat, and possess the attribute to excise the

enemy from their position.

Volunteering is a kind thing to do. It helps someone in need and adds a bit of fulfillment to your day. My volunteer experience with the Blue Star Mothers of America involved filling Christmas stocking, packing care packages, and learning about our military soldiers.

Whitney T.

Purple

11-10-13

V7 Essay

This weekend, my friends and I had a juncture at Isabel O’Connor’s house and made care packages that are to be delivered at the YWCA to homeless women for the holidays. The population of homeless people in Oklahoma is something that is often belittled and is a problem people try to parry. Caring for the homeless is a doctrine I have always believed in and never wavered about. My stance on this issue is that we are fully capable of making this issue better. The things we packed in the care packages were hotel-size shampoos and soaps, candy, hairbands, toothbrushes, and many other small essentials. While I was packing e bags, I was thinking about how I take all of these things for granted, and some of these things are exotic to the other women. Afterwards, I felt fortunate, sympathetic, and proud.

        One of the feelings I can say that everyone felt while stuffing those packages was fortunate. All of the things such as toothbrushes and soap are things we take for granted and don’t give a second thought about. When the women receive the packages filled with the small items, it will probably make part of their holiday season. They would likely accept any kind of shelter or food, no matter how menial. The lack of these supplies are ravaging the lives of some homeless people.  It really will make my friends and I think about  what we’re complaining about the next time we complain about not getting the atest phone or the  most popular shoes. We can remind ourselves that there are people who can’t afford one-tenth of what we want. Often times we are not unassuming and very conceited. While we wallow in our riches, people are suffering. If people excised a small amount of money from what they use to buy sometimes tawdy electronics and clothes, they could make a huge improvement in the lives of homeless women. It’s gotten to the point where homeless people can be predatory to stores and have to steal food and merchandise. People should be a turncoat from the others who just sit and let his problem go on.

Another feeling we felt while doing this project is sympathetic. The thought of these women alone on Thanksgiving or Christmas with no one to talk to, nothing to give or open, and nothing to eat is like a dagger to the heart.  An attribute that is found in all of these women is perseverance. Although this project brought me great joy it also brought me great sorrow. It makes me feel almost guilty when I open gifts and new things because I can’t help thinking that the money spent on something so unnecessary could have gone and bought food and clothing for those with nothing. It makes me feel sort of bad to be very jaunty during the holiday season while there is so much suffering. This project made me feel very sorry for the women, and only pushed me to want to help them more.

        As well as feeling fortunate and sympathetic, I felt proud. While I was packing the bags, I could just picture the faces of the women when they received their bags. The haggard faces were smiling and relieved. I got a warm feeling in my stomach when I looked at all the bags lined up against the wall. It made me feel good to think that I took part in something that will brighten the day of many people. I wanted to convey the message that people care and are trying to help to the women. I felt like I really accomplished something and tried to actually think and reflect about how I was helping afterwards. This project was not hard to do at all which gives no excuse for my friends and I not to do it again in the future. The kind of pride I felt was different than the kind someone feels after scoring the winning goal or winning the spelling bee. I think the pride I felt is this best pride because I was proud that  my deed didn’t just help me, it helped other people.

        This experience has affected me in many ways this holiday season. It pushed me to consider doing more volunteer work in the community without being asked. I am very glad that I got to share my experience with my friends also. The more people moved by this project, the better. This project was the acme of my weekend. My friends and I felt many things after this project, but three of the most apparent are fortunate, sympathetic, and proud.

Groups Raise Money to Support Projects

The Middle Division Houses had a Loose Change competition and raised more than $1,300 to donate to Syrian refugee families. Episcopal Relief and Development is partnering with various agencies in Syria through the Church of England in Europe, and interfaith partner Islamic Relief. Fr. Youmans led this effort in the Middle Division to educate the students about the program and to raise money for those who are struggling. Taber House was the overall winner. Casady's Gales Pep Club raised $1,000 on the first day of a vintage clothing, uniform, and spirit wear sale this week. The Gales chose Cleats for Kids as the non-profit to support. The sale has been open each day of Homecoming week during Upper Division Activities