Cross-Pollination and Community Service: Electives in the Uppers (6th-8th)

Electives play an essential role in developing middle school students by allowing them to explore their interests, learn new skills, and expand their perspectives beyond core academics. In the Uppers, active engagement in our school community has been a large part of our focus this fall. We have taken the idea of “Buddies' reading time' with the Primes, and transformed it into something much bigger in just a few weeks. One of the electives offered in grades 6-8 is Community Service. Students have the opportunity to help teachers in younger classrooms by leading games and activities, working on projects, tying shoes, answering questions, and more. Not only are we practicing volunteerism, we are making lasting community connections. Our work outside of the Uppers classroom is supplemented by reflections about our service learning, critical thinking to improve student experiences, and evaluation of our impact on the school community. Over the last couple of weeks on Mondays and Tuesdays, you could find a group of Uppers leading a parkour lesson for the Middles, Choice Time activities with the Mups, and Gaga with the Super Primes. This is only the beginning of the work we will do this year. Community Service students will also be available on those days to help teachers in any classroom with small tasks, projects, or errands.

Another elective offered this fall is Wondering in the Woods. Although this class is designed for Uppers to immerse themselves in the surrounding nature and report on their findings, last week we found an opportunity for connection and community service. After reading the bulletin as a class, we were particularly interested in the wild edibles reported on by the Lumber Primes. After contacting Amy, we made plans to visit their outdoor classroom where Uppers learned about wood sorrel, sheep’s sorrel, and plantain. Primes showed Uppers where to find the plants and Uppers compared their tasting experiences to those of the Primes. The lesson about wild edibles soon transformed into a group project led by Amy. Everyone was tasked with removing bittersweet from the meadow because the vines are harmful to trees and can actually choke them. Students of different ages and sizes worked together to complete this mission, while discovering the sharp thorns and bright orange roots of bittersweet. 

These magical moments of cross-pollination and community service are what makes this school so special!