Community Service

It's always a good time for community service! All students are invited and encouraged to perform community service throughout the year. Community service helps our neighbors in need, builds character, increases empathy, and creates meaningful connections. Community service participation and efforts will be recognized at a school assembly in the spring.

Donation Drives

The Community Service Committee organizes several donation drives during the year to benefit local charities and provide support for those in need in our community. Donation drives will be announced in the Panther Press.

After-School Meetings

Students can sign up to attend after-school meetings in the library. Students will make door decorations for elderly care centers, cards for first responders, fleece blankets for children in foster care, and other projects. Meetings typically take place from 3:50 to 4:30 p.m.

Meeting dates for the 2026-2027 academic year are coming soon.

Sign-up forms will be posted in the PTO Forms section of this website approximately two weeks before each meeting date. We will have space for 25 students for each meeting. Registration will be first come, first served.

Car/Bus Riders & Y-Care

Parents must update PickUp Patrol for their child on the day of the Community Service meeting. Select "Other" from the drop-down menu of options, then type "Community Service" in the "More Info" field. Don't forget to click the "Submit" button when you are done. Please make these changes before 3 p.m.

• Students who attend Y-Care will be escorted to the Y-Care staff after the meeting.
• Students who are normally car riders or bus riders must be picked up from school at 4:30 p.m. There is NO bus service for Community Service participants. A parent volunteer will walk students out to the car loop to meet you at 4:30 p.m.

Recognition

We will celebrate the school's participation in community service during an assembly in the spring.

Students will receive certificates recognizing their participation in community service. To receive a certificate, students must do one of the following:

• Attend an after-school community service meeting.
• Record community service hours using this Community Service Hours form. Hours submitted will appear on the certificate.
• Submit the Community Service Experience form, describing at least one experience serving in the community.

The deadline to submit Community Service hours and experiences is April 30, 2027.

Guidelines

Activities that qualify for community service should:

• Be for the benefit of others.
• Give service to an area of need.
• Not involve payment.

Community service generally does not include:

• Activities that are part of a student's normal academic day.
• Belonging to an organization or participating in school clubs or extracurricular activities. However, service projects done with groups would qualify.
• Activities performed as part of a "family unit," such as babysitting siblings, grocery shopping, gardening, washing the car, etc.
• Personal enrichment activities, such as dance lessons, cooking classes, etc.
• Travel time.

Need help with ideas? Check out this list of community service ideas.

Questions? Ideas?

Please reach out to enrichandengage@vpepto.org with any questions or ideas about Community Service at VPE.