By Samantha Coe, Staff Writer
October 28, 2023
ROCKLAND- Many community service opportunities are available for anyone who needs to complete the 25 hours or would like to give back by donating their time.
The Rockland High School requirement of community service hours to graduate is 25 throughout all four years. Most students split them evenly between the four years, get them all done freshman year, or just wait until the last second of their senior year.
According to Ms. Freea Leahy, “Community service was a tradition at Rockland High School long before I got here.”
She was inspired to become the Community Service Coordinator, because “I truly believe there is so much to be gained by the person giving their time and the person or organization receiving it.”
Ms. Julie Dore is an advisor of the Key Club, which provides many opportunities for students to get involved in the community. The club tries to have at least one community service activity a month.
The Key Club has some opportunities planned for the next months such as “The Giving Tree”.
Ms. Dore said, “We’ll have a couple of trees set up in the cafeteria during the holiday season and students can take an ornament that will have the name of a book on it that they can purchase and then bring back in. The Key Club will go ahead and wrap the books and it will go to the kids in the Rockland community.”
Senior Karen Araujo has already completed her 25-hour requirement and said it’s “a great way for students to participate at least a couple hours in community work or school work.”
Most of Araujo’s community service has been received by working in WRPS by doing audio, filming last year's graduation, and recording the Veterans’ Day celebrations.
“Helping the WRPS is a great way to gain experience in the radio, audio, TV, and filming field and they provide a lot of community service opportunities. So I would recommend taking advantage of having WRPS around and help with projects whenever you can” Araujo said.
Ongoing opportunities include Bulldog Block, Dog Blocks, helping at Phelps, and others included at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v5q5xVFWsEBB-aF-GuR_6RhoAlaaIkMwGcMsvNMXUkg/edit
Ms. Leahy said, “Students are always welcome to see me in guidance with ideas or for ideas. Follow @RHSgivesback on Twitter or @rhsgivesback on Instagram.”