"They're learning the value of giving back to others and helping those in need," says Mrs. Karla Dement about her students. Mrs. Dement is the Cedar Ridge High School Family and Consumer Science teacher and FCCLA facilitator.
Students in the Leadership Service Learning class have been involved in a wide variety of activities and projects this semester. At the beginning of the 22-23 school year, Mrs. Dement was tasked with planning projects for her students to complete that would help them meet the minimum 75 hours of community service to receive a special seal on their high school diploma, as well as a credit for high school.
Students in the class have accumulated over 113 hours this semester alone. They have been volunteering their time at the elementary school, assisting teachers, mentoring students, taking an active part in playground time, helping in Physical Education, tutoring, filling bags of food to send home with children, and more.
Before Christmas break, students decorated Christmas cards to give to nursing home residents and wrapped Christmas presents for children on the Angel Tree.
They recently completed the "Book Buddy" program with Arkansas Children's Hospital. Students were filmed reading a children's book, and those videos will be played for patients at the hospital.
