Giving to the Local Community
Community service plays a special role within the classroom in the third grade. Under the tutelage of beloved Santa Monica outreach activist and educator "Mrs. T," former Santa Monica YWCA Women of the Year and board member of the Everychild Foundation and head member Mary Ann Humphrey. Children process the world around them in the classroom, and Carlthorp School helps them process that experience in a safe and secure environment.
What Is Our Purpose?
Carlthorp School’s Code of Conduct expresses the fundamental values and ethics that are the foundation of our children’s education. Children learn that making good choices is as important as anything they will learn during the school day.
Community Service allows us to take that one step further, as children start to think about the greater world beyond the walls of the school. Children are provided opportunities to learn to help others and to process those experiences in a safe and secure environment.
How Is The Program Organized?
The goal of the program is to involve children in service learning opportunities. Some projects are grade specific and others invite the participation of the larger Carlthorp community. Opportunities for families to participate are outlined in the weekly Carlthorp News and include drives for new and used items, service days, fundraising and community events.
What Are Some Of The Projects?
Pennies From Heaven
Every classroom at Carlthorp has a Pennies From Heaven jar and children bring in loose change throughout the year that is used for projects that have included buying meals and holiday gifts for families in need. For instance, a recent recipient was the Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan, an organization dedicated to help foster children thrive. For more information: HYPERLINK "http://www.rowellfosterchildren.org" www.rowellfosterchildren.org
Westside Food Bank Hunger Walk
This is an annual event that members of the Carlthorp community participate in each year. The event takes place in October and proceeds provide more than 350,000 meals for local food assistance charities. More information about the Westside Food Bank can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.westsidefoodbankca.org" www.westsidefoodbankca.org
Upward Bound House
Carlthorp School has “adopted” an apartments at Upward Bound House in Santa Monica. Upward Bound provides transitional housing and services for homeless families in our community. With the help of faculty and parents, children learn about Upward Bound and then develop and undertake grade-appropriate activities that enable us to furnish the apartment a number of times each year. For instance fourth graders recently organized a school-wide recycling program that raised funds for the apartment. More information about Upward Bound can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.Upwardboundhouse.org" www.Upwardboundhouse.org.
YouthGive Guide to Giving in Los Angeles
YouthGive believes that engaging children and youth in philanthropy is critical to instilling lifelong habits of generosity and civic engagement. Carlthorp is one of several local schools involved in the creation of the first Los Angeles guide to giving. Our fourth, fifth and sixth graders researched non-profits to be highlighted by the guide. More information can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.youthgive.org" www.youthgive.org.
Gently-Used Stuffed Animal Drive
The Carlthorp Second Grade Brownie troop collects all those cuddly toys your children are not too attached to and donates them to children in need.
Halloween Recycled Costume Drive
Each year our families donate many used and new Halloween costumes that are in turn given to the Queen Anne Place Elementary School in the Crenshaw/Pico neighborhood.
Halloween Candy Drive
On November 1 each year, children are encouraged to share their treats that are donated to a school like Queen Anne’s.
City of Santa Monica Thanksgiving Day Celebration
The Calrthorp community collects hygiene supplies that are given out at the biggest Thanksgiving Dinner in Southern California. This inter-faith celebration began in 1982 and serves over 2,000 meals, gives out blankets, offers immunizations and haircuts and, gives out literally, tons of clothing. More information can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.westsidethanksgiving.org" www.westsidethanksgiving.org.
Holiday Toy Drives
Both new and gently-used toys are collected in December. New toys are donated to the Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club and gently-used toys are given to a variety of organizations, including HeadStart, Clinic Oscar Romero and Queen Anne’s.
Marathon Can Drive
Our wonderful faculty and staff go the distance during the LA Marathon or around a local high school track and Carlthorp families pledge cans of food for each lap or mile, respectively. Thousands of cans are collected in March and donated to local food pantries.
Fifth Grade Reading Buddies
Fifth graders team up with the younger grades from an inner-city school and share the joy of reading. A tour of the school is followed by some time spent reading favorite stories.
Gently-Used Book Drive
Hold onto those gently-used books and donate them when this drive takes place each year. Books are donated to schools, libraries or health care facilities.
Shane’s Inspiration
Sixth graders learn about this organization in the classroom and then spend a morning with children with special needs. Students learn to experience and accept peers with special needs as equals, and learn vital lessons of compassion, awareness and acceptance. More information about Shane’s Inspiration can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.shanesinspiration.org" www.shanesinspiration.org.
Kids4Kids Run/Walk
Started by the mother of a Carlthorp Alumni, this event is designed for kids and raises money for research into children’s cancer. Many of our families participate. “This is a spectacular event as kids of ALL
ages from throughout Southern California participate in a truly fun event with
a very special mission: to create a HAPPIER and HEALTHIER future for all children.” More information can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.ccrf-kids.org" www.ccrf-kids.org.
“Undee Monday”
Six graders sponsor this school-wide drive to contribute to the City of Los Angeles Big Sunday clothing drive.
Art for April
Every summer, art teachers Merywynne Ruggirello and Greta Williams spend a week teaching art lessons at a Long Beach inner-city elementary school. The Carlthorp community’s donations make sure that they have all the necessary supplies.
Big Sunday
The Carlthorp community has contributed to this weekend, normally in May, by working to clean up local beaches, beautifying an inner-city elementary school and other family-friendly activities. More information can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.bigsunday.org" www.bigsunday.org.
Summer Camp Fund
The Salesian Boys & Girls Club in Boyle Heights serves at-risk youth through a variety of programs. The California Office of the Attorney General in Sacramento selected the Club as a crime, gang, and violence-prevention site. Donations from Carlthorp families give many Salesian children summer opportunities.
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The Code of Conduct
Every student and every family at Carlthorp School can tell you the "Code of Conduct," which expresses the fundamental values and ethics that are the foundation of the Carlthorp education. Making good choices every day is part of what it means to be a member of the Carlthorp School Community. These concepts have not changed since the founding of our school - except for the last line of the code, which was added after September 11, 2001. When Carlthorp School students go on to secondary school, they often come back to visit us, and let us know that they have never forgotten the Code of Conduct. It all starts here.
The Carlthorp Code of Conduct:
I tell the truth.
I am courteous.
I am respectful.
I am kind to others.
I am responsible for my actions.
I do my own work.
I keep my promises.
I do my best.
I try to improve myself every day.
I am a good American citizen.
Carlthorp School
438 San Vicente Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Phone: 310-451-1332
Fax: 310-451-8559
www.carlthorp.org