Community and service is one of five areas of interaction. In our school community and service is an integral part of the programme, present in the curriculum as well as in whole - school activities. Students of year 4 and 5 of MYP are asked to perform various activities and services in school as well as outside the school, both individually and in small groups helping various organizations, institutions, and individuals.

Student learning expectations include:

1.     community awareness and understanding of:

How does this unit apply to my communities? What impact does my community have on the content of this unit? Which communities does this unit affect?

• the concept of community-including what "community" means, how communities are different and how they are similar, what makes a community
• individuals in communities-including the role of the individual, the needs of the individual, the responsibilities of communities to their members
• different communities-including the various forms of community, the needs of different communities, the issues within the communities, organizations within communities

2.     reflection on:

How can my learning help my communities? How can my communities help me learn? What should I do?

• attitudes-including reflection upon different social patterns and ways of life, showing initiative
• responsibilities-including the ethical implications of activity or inactivity within the community, using personal strengths to enhance communities, identifying personal strengths and limitations

3.     involvement through service in terms of:

What needs to be done? What can I do? How is my involvement helping me develop?

• community involvement-including types of involvement, effects on communities at various levels, personal involvement
• being an active contributor-including showing willingness and the skills to respond to the needs of others, coming up with solutions to actively resolve issues within communities

FROM AWARENESS TO INVOLVEMENT

Through the curriculum and school activities outside the classroom, students are given opportunities to develop awareness or different communities and their needs.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WORKS THROUGH SERVICE IN TERMS OF:

• Types of involvement
• Personal involvement
• Being an active contributor
• Coming up with solution to actively resolve issues in community (school, local, other)

Social awareness should develop into social involvement, where student displays increasing levels of responsibility and initiative.

Our school encourages students to use talents and skills developed at school outside the school. The students should become actively engaged in service activities, individually and in groups.

REFLECTION

Reflection is an essential part of CS. It should be part of the students experience, as it encourages better awareness of needs as well as the quality of response.

Students should ask themselves the following questions:

• How can my learning help my communities?
• How can my communities help me learn?
• What should I do?

It helps students:

• develop positive attitudes, showing initiative
• become aware of ethical implications of activity or inactivity within the community
• become aware of personal strengths and limitations

In order to monitor the quality of CS at the school level as well as follow the ongoing process of reflection, allowing formative assessment of student action all students are required to keep a journal/record of activities/services performed.

(See Attachment: Community and service journal - for supervisors)

After completing an activity, either as part of school curriculum or an individual activity/service outside the school students will have to complete C&S reflection sheet and turn it in to C&S leader.

(See Attachment: Community and service reflection sheet)

COMMUNITY AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES IN AND OUTSIDE OUR SCHOOL

• participating in school organized C&S activities
• tutoring peers in various subjects
• participating in various humanitarian activities/events organized outside the school locally such as Terry Fox run, Walking to Health, ZegeVege festival, various events organized locally Maksimir, my community at Švarcova street
• participating in various humanitarian activities/events organized inside the school (Peace Day, Earth Day, Water Day...)
• visiting handicapped and abandoned children at Nazorova street
• visiting children in the Kindergarten Little Star
• visiting elderly people
• money raising for various causes (at Christmas time)
• museum visits
• collaboration with Volonterski centar Zagreb and Animal friends Croatia
• collaboration with parents
• collaboration with teachers and IB DIP Students

All MYP Students have to choose ONE activity/service to perform during the entire school year.

Also, MYP Students have to perform/participate in other SHORT TERMS ACTIVITIES (workshops, presentations...).

IMPORTANT: All MYP Students have to remember that C&S activities should be meaningful and lead to reflection and self-development.

With the guidance of the school, you are given the opportunity to choose your own activity as appropriate. 

6 major services regarding either:

ANIMALS FRIENDS CROATIA

CHILDREN WITHOUT PARENTS-Nazorova 49

HOME FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE: "Maksimir" Elderly Dormitory-Hegedušićeva 20 and

                                           "Medveščak" Elderly Dormitory-Iblerov trg 8

VISITING CHILDREN IN "LITTLE STAR" KINDERGARTEN-Anglo-American Playschool of Zagreb-Petrova 119

VISITING DISABLED STUDENTS in "Centar za odgoj djece i omladine "Špoljarov prilaz bb in Dubrava

"MAKSIMIR MY COMMUNITY" -Švarcova 18-helping families in the nearby community

VOLUNTEERS CENTRE ZAGREB-Ilica 29, Zagreb

Examples of some C&S at the school:

• 3-4 students at the library
• 4 students to be responsible for the content of the MYP section on school web site-once a week-supervisor Mr Wendling
• 5-6 students help in organizing the Xmas party-writing posters/invitations for students/ teachers/parents, collecting toys for donations/other-supervisor Ms Selišek Butina
• 5-6 students informing other students about C&S, providing relevant information and being contact persons between students and C&S coordinator Ms Selišek Butina

How will C&S be assessed?

• all students have to keep a Community and service journal in order to record their service activities including, dates, description of service/activity they performed and all other necessary information regarding that
• students should also provide background info, photos, videos, other information about the service they perform including the signature of the person involved in a particular service
• after each activity students should answer the questions from the C&S reflection sheet in order to comment and evaluate their own activities

In order to find out what interests and initiative MYP students might have regarding various C&S activities they are asked to fill in the following questionnaire at the beginning of school year. C&S coordinator will then try to find ways of helping students by contacting various organizations in the local area who might need help in their services.

At the end of the school year (beginning of June), students have to turn in their C&S journal to the C&S coordinator for assessment.