about R.A.Y.S.
The 2017-18 year will be our revival year after the class was eliminated in 2015. This will be the eighth year that we will host a 7th/8th grade elective course through which selected students will guide students in other classrooms as they implement service- learning projects. This year, the R.A.Y.S. proposes to host a minimum of three community service/service learning projects in which all Randall students may participate. We will also guide classroom, subject area, or grade level service learning projects.
Read on to learn the history of our growing program!
The idea that kids can help their community as they learn their lessons just seems logical!
During the summer of 2007, a Randall teacher decided to give the students at Randall Middle School a chance to help out their community. She contacted Florida Learn & Serve for a grant. She received a grant for $1200 to organize a youth service council at Randall Middle School. The council’s first project was on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of 2008. We organized a clean-up on the Alafia River. Instead of students getting the day off, they took a day on! Later, in April, they organized yet another environmental project. Around Alderman’s Ford Park, they cleaned up the invasive air-potato. All of this allowed us to help our community AND learn important curriculum. In May of 2008, the Randall Service Learning Council applied for a larger grant and welcomed 10 new members. Over the summer, the Leadership Team elected to change the name to the Randall Area Youth Service Council, or R.A.Y.S.! For this school year, Florida Learn & Serve granted the council $5200. In August 2008, Mrs. Verdi introduced an elective for all RMS sixth graders to see what service learning is all about. The class was called “Think, Learn, & Serve”. The R.A.Y.S. Council and the T.L.S. students planned and organized several service learning, community service, and volunteer projects throughout the 2008-2009 school year and many students got involved. For the 2010-2011 school year, the R.A.Y.S. Council became a class! The year was a learning experience for all involved! The 16 students in the class worked with the other 24 council members and successfully planned and carried out several community service and volunteer projects! Next year, the class will officially become the Council but morning workshops will continue for any interested Randall students.
-Tucker Verdi
Over the years, the class organized the Patriot Day Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day projects, Global Youth Service Day Projects, the Memorial Day Display, and many other projects. The students have also represented Randall at several national conferences and through award recognition at the district, state, and national level. Our school is now recognized as a Florida Service-Learning Leader School and a Youth Service America (YSA) Global Service Leader School.