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Common Questions about the Community Service Requirement

Q. How many hours are required?

A. 30 hours total are required for each student during their high school years. It is strongly suggested that the first fifteen hours be completed in grade nine.

Q. How long do I have to get this done?

A. In order to graduate from Hampshire Regional High School, you must have completed and documented thirty hours of community service by March of your senior year. Students seeking membership in the Academic Society must have their hours completed by September of their junior year.

Q. What kinds of things count as community service?

A. Working in a homeless shelter, assisting with community-based youth sports, volunteering at the town offices or library, attending school committee meetings, helping with fund-raisers for charitable groups, tutoring, etc. The definition is fairly wide,and if you have a suggestion, we are always willing to listen to it.

Q. What kinds of things do not count as community service?

A. Work done at home for your family (you should be doing that anyway), participation in religious services (other activities with your place of worship are okay, if they are community service oriented), baby-sitting and leaf-raking for the neighbors, work at "for profit" ventures (there are some exceptions to this, like hospitals), volunteer work that is performed during class time, volunteer work with an organization for which you also do paid work, or activities from which you will benefit directly (ex. fund-raising for a trip somewhere).
These guidelines are general, and that is why we use a pre-approval system for community service credit. Community service that is not pre-approved does not have to be accepted.

Q. How do I get my community service pre-approved?

A. Forms are available from Mr. Folta in the main office and the school website. You must fill in your name, date the service will be done, location, contact person and their phone number (contact person must be an adult supervisor - but NOT your parent), and nature of service (describe what you will be doing). Mr. Folta will sign the form indicating that the service will be accepted for credit.
After finishing the service, have the adult contact person at the service site sign the form (on the "completed" line) and fill in the number of hours (full hours or half hours only). The contact name and phone number need to be legible in case we have questions about your community service. We also do "spot checks" on community service completion. Turn in your form as soon as the service is done (you don't have to wait until the deadline!).

Q. How will my community service hours be documented?

A. All community service forms will be kept on file. Beginning in grade 11, "community service" will be listed as a class on your schedule and report card. When you have completed 30 hours, a grade of "pass" will appear, and a community service credit will be entered on your transcript.

Q. Do students in dual enrollment or other early college programs have to complete this community service?

A. Yes.

Q. What happens to those who don't complete thirty hours of community service?

A. It is important to remember that community service is a requirement that must be fulfilled, just like a class. If you do not complete your community service requirement, you will not graduate from Hampshire Regional High School.