Pine Valley Central School Community Service Information & Requirements

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    What Is Community Service & Why Is It Important?
    When someone performs an action which benefits his or her community, it is known as community service. Some people associate community service with punishment, since it is often offered to small-time offenders as an alternative to fines or jail time. However, community service can also be altruistic, and it is a vital part of many small communities. Getting involved in your community makes it healthier and livelier, and numerous organizations around the world support community service activities.
     
     
    Many people engage in community service because they believe that it carries rewards beyond the obvious and tangible. Clearly, engaging in things like environmental restoration and civic beautification will make your life enjoyable by making the world around you more pleasant. But community service can also help to ensure that important services like meals for the elderly and volunteer fire departments continue to run. It also helps to build a rich and supportive community of people who know each other and lend each other a hand when it is needed.
     
     
     
    Community Service Ideas: 
    • Join a club specializing in community service 
    • Mow laws or shovel driveways for neighbors or the elderly (not family)
    • Volunteer at local benefit functions (fire halls, granges, VFWs)
    • Lawn maintenance or cleaning for organizations such as legions, VFWs, libraries, etc.
    • Work as an aide at a church Bible School
    • Volunteer at a nursing home or hospital
    • Umpire ballgames for local sports teams
    • Volunteer with the Salvation Army at Christmas-time (ringing the bell)
    • Volunteer at local food pantries/shelters 
    • Collect trash and clean up neighborhood streets
    • Volunteer at a local animal shelter 
     
     
    Is it Community Service? 
     
    Working for anyone in your family or extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings) does not qualify as Community Service. This would be considered helping your family.
     
    Yes
    		  No
    Mowing lawns or shoveling driveways for the elderly or those unable to do it themselves Shoveling grandma's driveway 
    Helping at a nursing home, adult day care center, or a church Bible School Working at your family’s farm or business
    Volunteering at a benefit function at your local church or fire department Working at the concession stand as a part of your class duties
    Lawn maintenance or cleaning for organizations such as Legions, VFW’s, senior citizen housing developments, cemeteries, etc. Mowing and pulling weeds at your aunt’s home
    Picking up trash at local parks Cleaning your family's yard
    Reading to children at the local library, assisting the librarian with other tasks Reading to a sibling at home
    Helping at Make a Difference Day activities Walking in a 5k
    Volunteering at the PV Summer Enrichment program as a teacher's aide Taking a summer class
    Ringing the Salvation Army Bell at Christmas time Donating money to a kettle
    Volunteering at the local food banks Donating a can to a food drive
     
     
    70 hours of community service are required for graduation from Pine Valley Central. In order to ensure students meet the requirement, we recommend students earn service hours according to the chart below:
     
     
    Grade Level # of Hours
    7th 10
    8th 10
    9th 15
    10th 15
    11th 15
    12th 5
      Total= 70*
     
     

    *For students who enter Pine Valley after seventh grade, a system is in place to pro-rate hours. 

    *Community service requirements have been reduced due to social distancing restrictions related to COVID-19. Effective 9/7/2021, the classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 have been reduced to 45 hours; the class of 2026 is reduced to 55 hours; and the class of 2027 is reduced to 60 hours.

     

    Students should keep their own records of their community service hours in addition to the records already kept at the high school so they know where they stand. We also print the cumulative community service hour total on all report cards. If you don't know how many you (or your student) have, you may inquire at the Counseling Office at any time.

     
    Please note that students should complete the community service log sheets on their own. Adult supervisors only need to read and verify the information the student filled in and sign the form. Adult supervisors are NOT expected to be completing this paperwork on their own. 
     
     
    Community Service Coordinator: 
    Stacy Chase, High School Counseling Secretary
    988-3276, ext. 4334 / Fax: 988-3139
    SChase @ pval.org