Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board        

  “Each of you has received a special grace, so like good stewards, put yourselves at the service of others”

       —1 Peter 4:10

Ontario Catholic School
Graduate Expectations

The community involvement requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) present the Catholic student with valuable opportunities to celebrate his/her gifts and to reach out to their community through Christian service.  

Distinct Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations were devised by the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE). The following three expectations fit this initiative particularly well. 

The Catholic Graduate is expected to… 

• Be a collaborative contributor who “develops one’s God given potential and makes a meaningful contribution to society” 

• Be a caring family member who “ministers to the family, school, parish and wider community through service” 

• Be a responsible citizen who “exercises the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship” and who “contributes to the common good” 

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Community Involvement 

Expectation 

Every student who begins secondary school during or after the 1999-2000 school year must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as one of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Early completion of the 40 hours of Community Involvement is strongly recommended. 

Purpose 

$   to encourage students to develop their awareness and understanding of civic responsibility

$   to increase awareness of the role they can play and gain satisfaction from the contribution they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities

$   to develop a positive image and a greater sense of identity within the community 

General Information 

Students may complete the requirement at any time starting in grade 9 and finishing before graduation. Students may complete one activity of 40 hours or several activities which add up to a 40 hour time commitment. The requirement must be completed outside of scheduled class time.  

Students under the age of 18 years should plan and select their activities in consultation with their parents. 

Tracking and Documentation 

Students will identify and document their community involvement on the “Community Involvement Activity” form.  They will provide signatures confirming the activities they have participated in, who their supervisor was, and verify completed activities.  When all forty hours are completed (with all signatures) they will present the report to the Guidance department to be recorded on their official transcript. 

The personal information collected for the purposes of Community Involvement is pursuant to subsection 29(2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and is collected under the authority of the Education Act. 

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Roles and Responsibilities of... 

Students/Parents/Guardians

 Before beginning any Community Involvement activity: 

1.  The student will select an activity or activities from the Board’s list of approved activities OR, if the activity is not on the Board’s list of approved activities, the student will have to obtain written approval from the principal.  A copy of this written approval must be kept on file. 

2.  When an activity is completed the student must fill out the ‘Community Involvement Activity’ form.  The student may obtain this from their TA or from the Guidance department.  This form is signed by the student, the parent/guardian (if the student is under the age of 18), and a representative of the organization for whom the activity was done.  The student will submit the form to his/her teacher advisor for placement in their student portfolio.  This information will be recorded on a summary sheet entitled ‘Completion of Community Involvement Activities’, which will also be kept in the student’s portfolio or OSR.  Upon completion of all 40 hours, the student must submit this form (with all signatures) to the Guidance department to be recorded on their official transcript. 

3.  It is important to select appropriate activities that will provide for the student’s safety and well being.  Parent/Guardian involvement is crucial in ensuring that activities take into account the following:

• Health and safety

• Harassment

• Hazardous materials or substances

• Activities that require a police check

• Location of activity

• Age appropriateness

4.  When accepting a placement the student should consider the following:

• Show up ready to work on time

• Dress correctly for the agreed duties

• Act professionally

• Be respectful of others

• Listen to instructions

• Do the job to the best of your ability and ask for directions if unsure

• Call and notify your sponsor prior to the scheduled activity if you are sick or cannot come to work

• Maintain confidentiality

• Aim for completion before the final year

Secondary School Principals 

• Principals are required to provide information about the community involvement requirement to parents, students, and community sponsors.  Principals are also required to provide students with the information and forms they will need to complete the community involvement requirement, including the Board’s list of approved activities.  If a proposed activity is not on the Board’s list, the principal will decide whether or not it is acceptable.

• After a student completes the 40 hours of community involvement and submits the completed Activity Record to the school, the principal will decide whether the student has met the community involvement requirement and, if so, will record it as completed on the student’s official transcript.

• The completed 40 hours of community service will be documented on the student’s report card.

 Community Sponsors 

One of the purposes of the community involvement requirement is to develop strong ties between the students and their community, fostering valuable and long-term relationships.  Persons and organizations within the community may be asked by the student to sponsor a community involvement activity.  Any training, equipment, or special preparation that is required for the activity should be provided by the person or organization.  It is crucial that students are able to fulfill their community involvement requirement in a safe environment.  The person overseeing the student’s activity must verify the date(s) and the number of hours completed on the Community Involvement Activity Record.

School Boards 

Boards are required to provide students, parents and community sponsors with the information contained in this pamphlet which includes eligible and ineligible activities.  A Board will not approve student participation in any activities that are on the Ministry’s list of ineligible activities.  This list of activities is developed in consultation with school councils, the Special Education Advisory Committee and the Board’s insurer.  The Board must ensure that all participants, including students and sponsors of community involvement activities are adequately covered by the Board’s insurance.

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Eligible Activities           

These activities are non-paid, not during class time, and not part of a course requirement.  This list contains examples of acceptable activities.

Community Activities 

• Hospital/Medical Organizations: Candy Stripers, health-related donor drives, blood donor clinics, Quinte Therapeutic Riding Association, hospital activities.

• Leadership Youth Groups:  Church Youth Group, Cubs, Beavers, Scouts, Girl Guides, Brownies, Cadets: Air, Army, Sea (community service component), Crusaders in Community Service (CICS)

• Food Banks/Meal Services: Christmas food hampers, food drives, Meals on Wheels, Gleaners Food Bank.

• Nursing/Retirement Home Services:  Shut-ins visitation, senior citizen service work (i.e. fall leaf collection), friendly visiting of seniors in their homes one-on-one, various senior service activities.

• Community Services:  Service clubs, Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent de Paul Society (canvassing), Festival of Trees, United Way, Retreats (organizing and assisting), various service activities for challenged people, Gabriel Home, Youth Shelters, Salvation Army, Amnesty International, CFB and Volunteer Activities, Quinte Humane Society

• Education Services:  Athletics (contribution of time, e.g. coaching), Peer Tutoring, Life Skills buddies, school assistance (secretarial support), early childhood care services.

• Miscellaneous: Charity canvassing, clothes drive, free babysitting services, gift wrapping service at Malls, setting up craft and bake sales for fundraising support, agricultural activities.

School Activities 

• School Organizations: Band, Choir, Intramural Council, Yearbook (i.e. cannot count set up of school pictures or any other activity if you must miss instructional time, however, evening meetings outside of school time would count), Student Council, Community Service, (any involvement with the mentioned groups except if you are receiving a leadership credit or missing instructional time).

• Organizing and assisting with the school activities: school art show; sports meets outside of normal school hours, drama festival, fund-raisers, food drives, science fair, guide for Parents’ Night.

Activities for Individuals   

Helping with shopping;  hospital visits; shoveling snow;  reading letters;  tutoring;  chronic care;  reading buddies; transcribing 

If unsure check with the school principal 

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Ineligible Activities   

Student activities are not to displace paid workers 

The Ministry has developed a list of activities that may not be chosen as community involvement activities.  These are referred to as ineligible activities.  An ineligible activity is an activity that: 

• Is a requirement of a class or course in which the student is enrolled (e.g., Cooperative Education, any portion of a course, job shadowing, work experience)

• Takes place during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day.  However, an activity that takes place during a student’s lunch breaks or “spare” periods is permissible

• Takes place in a logging or mining environment, if the student is under sixteen years of age

• Takes place in a factory, if the student is under fifteen years of age

• Takes place in a workplace other than a factory, if the student is under fourteen years of age and is not accompanied by an adult

• Would normally be performed for wages by a person in the workplace

• Involves the operation of a vehicle, power tools, or scaffolding

• Involves the administration of any type or form of medication or medical procedure to other persons

• Involves handling of substances classed as “designated substances” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

• Requires the knowledge of a tradesperson whose trade is regulated by the provincial government

• Involves banking or the handling of securities, or the handling of jewellery, works of art, antiques, or other valuables

• Consists of duties normally performed in the home (i.e., daily chores) or personal recreational activities

• Involves the activities for a court-ordered program (e.g., community service program for young offenders, probationary program)

• Involves simple membership in a school or community club.

• Is part of a Community Service Day during regular scheduled class time.

• Involves activities with very ill or dangerous patients

• Involves activities that are unsupervised (i.e. farm)

• Involves activities of a political nature

If a student proposes to undertake an activity that is not on the Board’s list of approved activities, the principal will determine whether the student’s proposed activity is acceptable, in consultation with the appropriate supervisory officer.  If the activity is acceptable, the principal must keep a copy of the approval on file.  (The principal is not required to give approval of activities that are on the Board’s list of approved activities.)

 Getting Started...

As you, the student, begins to plan, think about activities in your community, school or with an individual.  Some ideas have been provided, but use your imagination.  The list is endless. 

• Contact your local volunteer organizations for current activities and special events where assistance will be required.         

Volunteer and Information Quinte
121-199 Front Street (Century Place)
Belleville, Ontario
K8N 5H5
969-8862

• Contact Public Institutions, Regional or Local Government, Private enterprise, service clubs, local libraries and Information Centres for a list of agencies in the community

• Check the Volunteer Opportunities Bulletin Board at NCC

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