Community Service Hours

A SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service activities as part of the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, but community service is more than just a diploma requirement for our students. As a Catholic community, we are called to apply Catholic social teachings in all that we do, to be people who “transform the world through witness, faith, innovation, and action”. The purpose of the student community service requirement is to foster an awareness and understanding of social and civic responsibility and to grow in Christian calling to service and reflection.

Students can begin to accumulate volunteer hours during the summer break before they enter Grade 9. Once the student completes all or a significant part of the 40 hours, the completed community hours tracking form (available in Guidance) should be returned to the Guidance secretary.

Students who are in their graduating year are strongly encouraged to finish their hours by May 1 of their graduating year, to ensure that this information is available to both the University and College Application Centres. Any hours completed after the end of June are too late to be sent to the application centres and conditional acceptances could be revoked.

For community involvement ideas, students are encouraged to visit: www.40hours.ca , and www.toronto-charities.ca.  

WHAT IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT?

As a general guide, community involvement activities are activities/jobs that benefit the community and the organization would otherwise NOT pay you to do. The purpose of the student community involvement requirement is to encourage students to:

• foster an awareness and understanding of social and civic responsibility;

• experience the contributions they can make to support and strengthen their communities; and

• reinforce the Catholic School Graduate Expectations of being a caring community member and responsible citizen.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Participation in an activity that promotes:

• Catholic moral teachings, gospel values, and ethical standards;

• a benefit to servicing the community;

• conforms to the ethical standards of the TCDSB and ministry of education;

• tutoring, mentoring or coaching at the school level;

• positive environmental awareness or ethical work of a global nature; and

• involvement in club, arts or cultural associations that seeks to make a positive contribution to the community.

GUIDELINES

Please note the following requirements for eligible community involvement activities:

• They must not be part of a credit course.

• They must be completed outside of scheduled class time.*

• They must be unpaid.*

• They cannot be conducted in a commercial setting.

Students cannot perform an activity at a place of business by working for “free”.

Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement

Students who go above and beyond in their volunteer work during high school, can earn a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement when they graduate. This new certificate celebrates your dedication to helping others and for completing more than 50 volunteer hours during high school.

There are three categories for the certificate:

• Bronze: 50 to 99 volunteer hours

• Silver: 100 to 199 volunteer hours

• Gold: 200+ volunteer hours

The Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement recognizes a student’s civic engagement, leadership and community spirit. This reinforces the Catholic School Graduate Expectations of being a caring community member and responsible citizen. 

GRADUATING STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HOURS COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN THE LAST FRIDAY OF APRIL TO BE ELIGIBLE.

Please feel free to Review all up -to - date Community Service Guidelines on the TCDSB Website 

https://www.tcdsb.org/o/teachingandlearning/page/community-involvement

MPSJ Community Involvement Forms

​Please print off the two forms below and have them filled out, signed by all parties, and submitted to the guidance office via email.  

Please send your email to our guidance secretary (Ms. L. Querin) ----  loreen.querin@tcdsb.org  

Please find the updated forms on this link :  https://assets.tcdsb.org/teachingandlearning/2669155/student-community-involvement-form.pdf