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Instilling the realization that we are part of a larger community is an essential aspect of the educational program at GNS.
One way to achieve this is for students to be involved in the larger community in some way through service and community engagement, whether at the local, national, or global level.
As an International Baccalaureate (IB) school with membership in the Round Square, our teachers and staff strive to broaden our students’ world views, both inside and outside of the classroom, to impart to each student that we all have a role to play in the maintenance and growth of our communities.
In the educational process, it is natural that most endeavours are intended to benefit the student. However, it is also valuable for students to engage with their community, in which they are the source of the effort, not the recipient. Glenlyon Norfolk School continuously challenges our students to use the skills and awareness of public issues they have gained in the classroom to help their communities and to then reflect upon their experience and consider how they can make a difference.
To meet this challenge, all Middle and Senior School students are required to participate in Service as Action at the local, national or global level. Completed activities and experiences are recorded, and reflected on by the student and overseen by a service coordinator. A record of their engagement and service appears on each student’s report card.
Though service is not a requirement at the Junior School level, the IB Primary Years Programme curriculum promotes internationalism and accordingly introduces our youngest students to the concepts of global responsibility.
The desire to help others is so strong at the Junior School level, the Round Square group has empowered our students to help out however they can, as much as they can, whenever they can, and has engendered in them a deep sense of caring for our local and global community.
In the IB Middle Years Programme, Service as Action experiences are guided by Learning Outcomes. Each Grade Level has specific Learning Outcomes they are expected to achieve during the school year. Before beginning a service activity students should consider how it will help them achieve the expected Learning Outcomes for their grade level.
The table below shows which Learning Outcomes are assigned to each Grade. Grades 9 and 10 are combined and students are expected to meet each outcome at least once over the course of Grade 9 and 10.
| SA Learning Outcomes | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 |
| Aware of strengths and areas for growth |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Work collaboratively with others | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Perseverance and commitment to activities |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
| Undertake new challenges and develop new skills | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
|
| Plan and initiate activities | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
||
| Engage with issues of global importance | ✓ |
✓ |
|||
| Consider the ethical implications of service | ✓ |
✓ |
Students can participate in long-term/ongoing service experiences, or short-term activities. Grade 9 and 10 students are encouraged to explore ongoing service activities. Students are encouraged to explore a range of activities within our school community and in the Greater Victoria community, and on national and international levels. All students must record, reflect on, and show evidence of their Service activities and experiences in Managebac.
GNS IB Diploma Course Candidates are required to meet 5 out of the 7 possible Learning Outcomes through Service Experiences over the course of their Grade 11 and Grade 12 years.
CAS Learning Outcomes
Grade 11 and 12 students are asked to focus on a commitment to ongoing service experiences, but shorter-term experiences are acceptable. Students are encouraged to explore a range of activities within our school community and in the Greater Victoria community, and on national and international levels. All students must record, reflect on, and show evidence of their Service activities and experiences in Managebac.
Grade 11 and 12 IB Diploma candidates are required to participate in service experiences to satisfy the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) requirements of the IB Diploma Programme.
Service within the programme requires that students seek meaningful involvement based on their personal interests in supporting their communities (this involvement may include within the school setting, local, national, and/or international communities).
As with each area (strand) of CAS, involvement must be ongoing over 18 months of the programme. Each student is assigned a CAS Advisor who supports their CAS Programme over both years of the Diploma.
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