Cedar Grove High School introduces service initiative

Along with academics and athletics, the Cedar Grove School District wants to emphasize the importance of giving back.

Community service, which is voluntary for students, can earn Cedar Grove High School teenagers "honor cords" if they go “above and beyond” in extracurricular activities to better the community, according to CGHS guidance counselor Alexa Rubino.

Schools and colleges award graduation honor cords recognizing student achievements. Students with the distinction wear the long, thin cords with tassels around their neck during commencement exercises.

The Kelly-green cord represents achievement in community service.

CGHS is starting a community service program, along with tying it into a digital tracking system. Rubino, along with staff members Meredith Denman and Donna DeFabiis, presented the initiative to the Cedar Grove Board of Education on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

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The aim is for participating freshmen and sophomores to contribute 10 hours of community service per school year, and for juniors and seniors to contribute 15 hours per year, Rubino noted.

Students are required to enter their completed hours within 48 hours of each assignment, with the total school year hours due by the end of the third marking period, Superintendent Michael Fetherman added.

Overall, the district hopes to achieve 50 hours of community service per participating student during his or her four high school years. Adjustments would likely be made for students entering the program later in the process.

Students attaining their benchmark will attend a community service luncheon and receive their green honor cords, representing community service, upon graduation.

'Digital as students'

Volunteer assignments will be tracked on the x2VOL program that works with the Naviance software already in place in the district. The cost to run x2VOL will be about $1,200, Fetherman told NorthJersey.com.  

“Tracking service hours should be as digital as your students,” the program touts in a video.

The tracking system is also accessible via the x2VOL app for the iPhone or Android.

Through x2VOL, students can find service opportunities, receive reminders, and track their progress against the goals via their digital dashboard.

Goals can be set as annual or multiyear, or direct or indirect, she said.

"Double-dipping" volunteer hours under other programs will not be allowed.

Students can print reports to attach their service achievements to resumes and college applications, noted Rubino.

The school administration, meanwhile, saves time and paper, generates real-time reports, and approves or denies hours online.

It’s also efficient for nonprofit organizations, which can register for free, post opportunities and verify student hours, all through x2VOL, according to the coordinators.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to have,” Board Vice President Frank Mandala responded to the presentation.

“It’s more than just checking the box,” Board President Christine Dye said, regarding typical community service tracking and verifications.

In other news, the Board of Education recognized the Panther girls volleyball team for winning the school’s first conference volleyball championship.

“It’s exciting to be the team that puts the banner up in the gym,” head coach Alicia Angione told the board.

The Panthers ended the season with a 12-2 record in the Super Essex Conference’s Colonial Division and an overall record of 18-9.

Email: proctor@northjersey.com