Community Service and Class Retreats
What Senior Community Service Days can look like!
Dear Friends,
October is always a very active month at Nora: Community Service, Class Retreats, the PSAT, Spirit Week, the Homecoming Dance, and a Halloween Party. Please note that we are giving the PSAT on the alternate test day of 10/25. Students went home with PSAT preparation booklets on Thursday. I will write again about the PSAT next week.
Wednesday is our first Community Service Day! We are excited to be out and about in our wider community. Everyone’s schedule is a little different depending on the group they are in. We serve Food and Friends, Martha’s Table, Shepherd’s Table, A Wider Circle, and The Library of Congress Transcription Services. Unfortunately, Bread for the City is under renovation this year which prevents us from returning there for now. Students will take metro or walk or ride in our activity bus to their service project. Generally it is important to wear walking shoes with closed toes, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Please be sure to bring what you need including a Metro card if necessary. Students dismiss at various times between noon and 2:00.
Seniors do not attend school on Community Service Day. This day is reserved for seniors to do their own required hours of service, visit college campuses, work on college applications or catch up on school work.
Thursday is the first day of our Class Retreats. These days are meant to introduce new challenges, experiences, and learning in a setting outside of the school building. These days are meant as an opportunity to get to know those in your graduating class better, to give a chance to really get to know someone different from yourself and see them as a part of your community, including your teachers! And each retreat has a social justice component as part of their plan. I am grateful to all the advisors for working with such care to organize, plan and lead these adventures.
The Nora School has not had the tradition of taking Indigenous People’s Day aka Columbus Day off from school. Monday is a regular school day. However, one student leader developed a petition for us to consider taking this day as a Holiday next year, especially since we now run a Social Justice Travel Program to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. I love hearing from students about their plans and purpose for our school, and we will offer true consideration to this request.
Hopefully our home soccer game on Tuesday will not be rained out this week. We’d love to see you there!
Peace,
Mara