• I will be doing my service learning at Freedom Elementary in Highland, UT.  My house backs up to the field of this school and all three of my children have attended there.  The neighborhood is nice and middle to upper class.  The neighborhood is not very diverse.  Most of the neighborhood is white as are the teachers.  Over the past few years with the housing market increases, prices in the nieghborhood have shot up.  The school was once overcrowded but has been losing its numbers as the neighborhood ages.  Currently there are 771 students. The school feeds into four different junior highs - Mountain Ridge, Willow Creek, Lehi Jr and American Fork Jr.  Describe the school and surrounding neighborhood.  I also worked in the preschool for about 4 months a few years back.
• I will be working with Adam Smith's 6th grade class.  He was my son's teacher last year and I heard so many good things.  I feel like I can learn a lot from him as he has been a successful teacher for many years.  The students in this area come from homes that are able to provide mostly for their physical needs.  The percentage of students that need free lunch is 8.3% and 1.6% have reduced lunch. Some of the schools in Alpine District have over 50% of their students that need free or reduced lunch and the average of all schools in the district is approximately 19%.  The school promotes community and kindness.  They have a reading buddy program and also a service club.  They also have an inclusion preschool and a small group kindergarten along with various other resources for kids with disabilities.  Having been a student advocate at the local junior high, I know that while the students physical needs are being met, many students are struggling with emotional needs.  The divorce rate is up 43% in the last year.  Also children are still experiencing the effects from the COVID pandemic.
• Service learning is an opportunity to serve the community while at the same time gaining important insights into the life of a teacher.  I will be able to serve in schools that are chronically understaffed.  I will be able to see teaching in action and gain a greater appreciation of teachers and have a greater understanding of the skills I need to gain.