Others Ahead of Self
A portion of Whitefield Academy’s mission is to develop young people who go on to college and life with “a passion for others ahead of self.” Whitefield believes this focus reflects
the compassionate heart of God and ultimately leads to a more fulfilling life.
A community service policy is in place in order to encourage students to this end. However, to reduce the phrase “others ahead of self” to a community service program would be
an incomplete depiction of the school’s mission statement. As Christians, we desire to put others first because we want to model our lives after the example of Jesus. Philippians
2:3-4 declares: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.” Our hope is that the community service projects our students perform become more than acts of obligation, but true reflections of a servant’s
heart, with students to developing an awareness of the needs around them, a tender heart towards those less fortunate, and a lifelong commitment to altruism.
In the Lower School, students learn to serve others through simple acts of courtesy and kindness in the classroom. In addition, each grade in the Lower School undertakes a community
service project during the year. The purpose of these projects is to “be the hands and feet of Jesus” in a world that needs to know His love. These projects also train our students
to look beyond themselves, observe the world around them, and develop an awareness of the needs of others.
In Middle School, students continue to grasp the concept of “others ahead of self” through leadership and character development programs which challenge them to grow personally
and broaden their perspective of the world around them within a biblical framework. The goal is to allow students to initiate, plan and carry out actions that will meet the needs
of others. Middle School students are encouraged to move out of their comfort zones and challenged to be pro-active as leaders in both the school and community. In addition, programs
such as Stoneworks and the Student Leadership Institute equip students to become servant leaders based on a biblical model of leadership.
Upper School presents new challenges as students begin preparing for college. Placing “others ahead of self” might easily be overlooked as they athletics, academic classes, and
extracurricular activities compete for time and priority. Instead, these activities provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that putting others first is not simply a one-time
action, but an attitude of the heart. Our goal is to see students integrate servanthood into who they are, not just what they do. Whether they are huddling up on the football
field or organizing a fundraiser, students are encouraged to put “others ahead of self.” With great pleasure we watch as students embrace servant-leadership as a way of life,
take personal ownership of their talents and gifts, and use them to impact others.
Recent examples of Whitefield community service projects:
Lower School Projects:
Book drive – Fourth grade students collected children's books for students at Sky View Elementary School.
Sack lunch assembly – Third grade students assembled 300 sack lunches for MUST ministries, a local organization that helps feed children in Cobb County.
Vision Rehabilitation project – Second grade students collected money and purchased devices to assist a local elementary student with low vision.
Coins for Quito – Kindergarten students collected loose change to help children in Quito, Ecuador attend a Christian school.
Middle School/Upper School Projects:
AYA day – Whitefield’s eighth grade class plans the annual field day at the Atlanta Youth Academy (AYA). An inner city school near Grant Park, AYA offers an excellent Christ-centered
education to low-income urban children in grades pre-K through eighth grade.
Ecuador Missions Trip – Whitefield Academy Upper School students travel to Quito, Ecuador each summer to serve in a Christian school for underprivileged students. The school
has sent a team every year since 2004.
For more detailed information,
click here.
"Feet on the Street" – Organized by a Middle School student, the Whitefield community collected over 120 pairs of men’s shoes for the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter.
Fugee Bike project – Families at Whitefield donated used bicycles to the Fugees Family, Inc., a non-profit organization that assists the children of refugees from war-torn
countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia and the Sudan. The bicycles collected by Whitefield families were given to Fugee students as a means of transportation to their
summer school program.
"Night for Haiti" – Organized by Middle School students, this event raised money for the Global Orphan project. Middle School volunteers provided fun and entertainment
to Lower School students while parents enjoyed a date night. Over $1,100 was raised to provide food and water for a transitional village in Haiti.
Prom with a Purpose – Whitefield juniors and seniors gave up the typical extravagances of prom in order to raise money for the American Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and
to help Ann Schmitz, an Upper School science teacher, in her battle against leukemia. Students opted to attend dinner parties organized by parents instead of dining out, to carpool
instead of renting limousines, and to buy consignment dresses instead of new outfits. Savings from these resourceful students were donated to the cause.
| AUGUST | 8/23/2011 Tue | 9 AM - 3 PM | US Community Service Day | Whitefield Academy |
The Ecuador Mission Trip
What is the Ecuador Mission Team?
The EMT is a group of Whitefield Academy Upper School students whose goal is to travel to Quito, Ecuador each summer to serve in a Christian school for underprivileged students
called the Love and Hope Foundation. We have sent a team each year since 2004.
Who guides the Love and Hope schools?
Community Ventures International is the parent organization that oversees these schools.
Who can participate?
WA Upper School students may join the EMT. Other students at all grade levels may contribute to the project.
How do all Whitefield students get involved?
Students support the EMT in these ways:
- Kindergarten classes donate their money bags at the end of the year. (Money bags of change are used during the year to teach money management and stewardship.)
- LS Spanish classes have pen pals at the school in Quito.
- The EMT sponsors Hasta La Pasta, an annual fund raising dinner preceding the Lower School Spring Musical.
- US students sell Chick-Fil-A biscuits.
- US students sell drinks at the Back to School Picnic.
How does the school get involved?
- The school contributes paper recycling funds.
- The school donates funds received through the Publix Partner Program. (Cards are available at each school office and the Campus Store.)
Who funds the trip?
EMT members raise the funds to cover their individual travel expenses, with guidance from the trip leaders, and funds raised at school pay a portion of the team expenses.
How do we measure our students' effectiveness?
We see hearts touched. We see lives changed. We see 12 children whose tuition at The Love and Hope Foundation school is being paid by members of the EMT. We see faculty members
working diligently each year to help the EMT achieve its goals. We see Whitefield Academy recorded as part of the history of
CVI.
For more information contact EMT at
Policies & Forms
A Word on Community Service
Part of our mission at Whitefield is to cultivate a passion for others ahead of self. Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of who we are, and to
love our neighbors as we do ourselves. When asked for clarification, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. This simple story delivers a clear and compelling message:
Our neighbor is anyone in need from any community. The Community Service program at Whitefield seeks to expose students to various forms of need in our society and to encourage
them to give sacrificially.
Aside from our annual Thanksgiving Baskets, Operation Christmas Child, and clothing and food drives, each month the Upper School takes a Saturday service trip to a local ministry
such as Project Open Hand, Hands On Atlanta, the Bible League Thrift Store, retirement homes, or other Atlanta area ministries. Students are eagerly encouraged to seek out their
own opportunities to serve through churches and youth groups. In fact, at least five of the fifteen required service hours must be completed off campus. Approval forms may be
downloaded
here. Please see Karen Richardson in U-302 if you have any questions or contact her at
We firmly believe in the importance of cultivating a tender heart; confident that if we succeed, our graduates will shock this 'me'-oriented society with the depth of their concern
for the needy and their commitment to finding short and long term solutions.
Middle School Community Service Policy
As a minimum standard, each Middle School student must complete 10 hours of community service per school year. At least 5 hours of service must be off campus. Final report cards
will indicate a grade of Complete or Incomplete for community service. Students receiving an incomplete must complete the community service requirement before advancing to the
next grade. Any community service not sponsored by Whitefield must be approved in advance. Approval forms may be downloaded
here. Please see Karen Richardson in U-302 if you have any questions or contact her at
Upper School Community Service Policy
As a minimum standard, each Upper School student must complete 15 hours of community service per school year. At least 10 hours of service must be off campus. Any community service
not sponsored by Whitefield must be approved in advance. Approval forms may be downloaded
here. Please
see Karen Richardson in U-302 if you have any questions or contact her at
( Adobe PDF format)
