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Social Action Projects
Students organize to help our
local, national, and world communities. Boys and girls work
with ‘outreach’ organizations to relieve some
of the most pressing social needs.
Classroom curricula are expanded to supplement social action
projects. Teachers present guided lessons and activities concerning
the history and social life of the people we assist, as well
as case studies of individuals struggling under the conditions
we are attempting to improve.
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During past years,
Laurel Hill students have:
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- Supported the Heifer Project,
an organization that promotes self-sufficiency,
by donating livestock and farming education to needy
families.
- Raised funds to assist families affected by the
2001 earthquakes in El Salvador and India.
- Raised sufficient funds to construct a schoolhouse
to serve residents of a rural village in Madagascar,
and to support a teacher’s salary for one
year.
- Raised funds allowing one hundred children in
Ethiopia to receive lunches every day for a year.
- Raised funds supporting the operation of anti-Taliban
clandestine home schools for girls in pre-9/11 Afghanistan.
- Raised funds that purchased the freedom of chattel
slaves in Mauritania.
- Supported local food pantries, hospitals, and
hospice.
- Raised funds for various 9/11 charities.
- Collected and delivered supplies for 9/11 Rescue
Workers.
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Micro-Society
Our Micro-Society program is a student-run town in miniature, complete
with everything from a bank to a marketplace to a mediation center.
There is even an IRS! Micro-Society presents a realistic setting
to learn about commerce and institutions, to practice citizenship
skills, and to learn to resolve problems in everyday adult life.
Themes
Themes are school-wide curriculum enrichment projects that allow
the entire student body to study together as a community. Each year,
students explore themes such as.
- Black History: Concepts of social justice,
equality and activism are emphasized.
- Poetry: Children become acquainted with the
unique styles of major poets, and learn to integrate these styles
into their own writing. Children learn to recite poetry, create
poetry, and publish poetry in a special anthology.
- Earth Day: Children complete projects relating
to ecology and environmentalism. They celebrate the wonders of
the natural world while learning active strategies for environmentally
responsible living.
- Election Year "Great Debates": Children
assume the identity of leading politicians as they prepare to
debate an urgent issue facing our country. The experience culminates
in a school-wide debate in which teams argue a particular viewpoint,
and then examine their own opinions. Citizenship, civic responsibility,
and news awareness are emphasized.
- Classic Classics: Children engage in an in-depth
exploration of essential childhood classics. Literary analysis,
story structuring, character development, and voice are brought
to life in activities that raise literacy to new levels.
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