LS Community Service

Community Service experiences in the Lower School are designed to raise students' awareness of social issues and give them opportunities to meet a variety of community needs. By participating in such projects, students learn to be more sensitive to the needs of others and develop a solid commitment to service. Each grade participates in service projects designed to enhance classroom instruction and strengthen student relationships through team building. It is our goal to introduce students to various community causes so that they may decide what specific area of interest they want to pursue individually when they become Upper School students. 

Pre-Kindergarten students visit Walnut Place Retirement Center in October and April. They sing seasonal songs and distribute cards they made. 

Primer students partner with seniors from the West Dallas Senior Center, decorating homemade gingerbread houses each December. 

Kindergarten students celebrate the 100th day of school by collecting one hundred pairs of socks and mittens for Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas. 

First grade students learn about sensory changes in the elderly by participating in an aging simulation. Afterwards, they each make Valentine's Day cards for retirement center residents. 

Second grade students create outdoor Christmas decorations for St. Philip's Neighborhood Development Corporation. Upper school students hang the decorations and Christmas lights as part of the Light Up St. Philip's Christmas Celebration. 

Third grade students prepare more than 100 sack lunches for residents of the Austin Street Shelter. The students deliver the lunches and learn about the resources and services the Austin Street Shelter provides. 

Fourth grade students make finger puppets for patients of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. They tour the hospital and learn about ways in which medical professionals help children with disabilities. 

Lower School students also participate in a canned food drive benefiting North Dallas Shared Ministries each November. Fourth grade students lead the effort, making posters and chapel presentations to publicize the drive and raise awareness about the programs offered by North Dallas Shared Ministries. They also deliver the food to NDSM and volunteer there, sorting the donations and stocking the shelves. Last year, they collected more than 200 bags of food. 

The Parents' Association also sponsors a family Lower School service project each spring.