Community Service

Dedicated Community Service is part of life at St. John's for students in 6th grade and up. This aspect of our school life is unique to us, and something that sets us apart from many school communities: each of us agrees, as part of our being here at St. John's, to dedicate a certain amount of time each month to serving our community –  something that may technically be a requirement but which we do gladly, out of love, as we seek to grow into conscientious Christian people serving God's creation.

The minimum requirement for each student is 30 hours per school year. This is the equivalent of only 3 hours per month on average during the 10 months that the school runs. These hours are integral to the school program.

Various opportunities to contribute are provided by the school (specific service projects, helping with school events, singing on kliros at some divine services, etc.). The teachers and staff of St. John's also encourage students to be creative in coming up with their own projects to serve the community.

The Community Service Coordinator provides bi-weekly reminders to students of upcoming deadlines and communicates with parents to keep them updated about their student’s progress towards stated goals.

Note: All service work you do, that you wish to have counted toward your 30 hours, needs to be reported to the school office so it can be recorded -- download the form here.

St. Elizabeth Service Award and Scholarship

One award, in particular, is dedicated to outstanding work in community service amongst high school students: the St. Elizabeth Service Award, given annually. The St. Elizabeth Service Award is inspired by the life of Holy New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth, who dedicated herself in service to others by caring for the poor, the sick, and the orphaned. It is given to the St. John's high school student who most exemplifies the character and devotion of St. Elizabeth and the ideals of Christian love by showing initiative, leadership, and resourcefulness in helping others in the community. This award is meant to recognize that student who, without neglecting the usual methods of community service and charity fund-raising, demonstrates an exceptional degree of commitment and creativity in service to his or her neighbor. The award recipient is recommended annually by St. John's faculty and administration and is approved by the Board. The student's name will be inscribed on the St. Elizabeth Service Award Plaque, and he or she will be granted a $500 scholarship for college or university upon graduation from St. John's Academy. All High School students of the Academy are eligible for this award.

Serve well!