Palmer Trinity School

bird's eye view Community Service: A Tradition Since 1972 By: Elena De Villiers, Director of Community Service If there was one thing the two merging schools had in common, it was their commitment to, and emphasis on, community service. I remember when I first came to Palmer School, in 1984, and the Head of School at the time, Jack Morgan, asked me to lead Palmer's chapter of Key Club—the main vehicle for the school's community service efforts. Having come from a long tradition of community service, I gladly accepted. In a school of less than 300 students, the Key Club grew to include over 100 upper school students. With countless service projects made available each month, it wasn't too long before the Palmer School chapter of Key Club began to win state awards against much larger schools, both public and private, throughout the state of Florida. We became very well known in the Key Club community for the quantity and quality of our work, due in part to Mr. Morgan's vision that Palmer School would become an institution that, starting with Key Club, would become synonymous with community service—and an inviting institution that welcomed all members of the community to come to our campus to enjoy its beautiful surroundings. Rooted in this vision, students began to organize and participate in a collection of service events, including Best Buddies, the Special Olympics and more. Similarly, under the guidance of Head of School Dr. Edward "Ned" Dougherty, Trinity Episcopal School students participated in weekly visits to the McLamore Children's Center, where they would help care for abandoned or abused infants. Today, 28 years later, and now Palmer Trinity School, it is rewarding for me to see that the values of both of these schools still stand, and more importantly, that they have become a hallmark of a Palmer Trinity School education. Currently, PTS has more than 35 student organizations—all of which, if not fully dedicated, are involved in some aspect of community service. Clubs like Best Buddies, Chapman Partnership for the Homeless, Project Feel Good, His House, the Autism Awareness Club, Breakthrough Miami, Eco Club, the Jewish Culture Club, the League Against Cancer, Operation Smile, Out of Students in the PTS Project Feel Good Club organized a Thanksgiving food drive for the families of St. Alban's Child Enrichment Center. Over Thanksgiving break, they visited St. Alban's to play with the kids and donate what they collected. the Darkness, Students Against Drunk Driving, Second Chance, Students Assisting Veterans, Light the Way and Roots of Hope—to name a few—are commiting themselves to serving others. Even our Honor Societies, which recognize the academic achievements of many of our students, participate in a local charity. Finally, this past fall, Palmer Trinity School students, faculty, staff and friends came together for "PTS Gives Back" to commemorate 40 years of community service—a special event, this past fall, that gave more than 300 attendees the opportunity to impact our community as one. After 28 years at Palmer and Palmer Trinity School, what continues to impress me is that these students have never been required to complete community service hours for graduation. At Palmer Trinity School, and in line with Mr. Morgan's original vision, our students believe that serving others is an inherent part of their role as members of their community—and even more importantly, they believe that community service is an inherent part of who they are as human beings. Members of the PTS Best Buddies Club hosted a special holiday party, where they played games with their buddies In October, PTS students, faculty, staff and families participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Through this and other fundraising initiatives, PTS raised more than $4000 to benefit breast cancer research. 14

• Cover