Cipriani Receives Kent Award for Service Program

Sometimes the simple tasks of raising the American flag and emptying recycling bins are all that’s required to foster school spirit and jumpstart a young person’s involvement in service work.

The Cipriani Fifth Grade Service Program, designed and implemented by several of the school’s teachers, is a creative model for teaching community service at the elementary school level. 

In May, Cipriani Elementary School teachers Julie Alexander, Chris Suydam and Katie Newsom were presented with the J. Russell Kent Award at a banquet hosted by the local chapter of the California School Boards Association.

The Kent Award is bestowed annually by the San Mateo County School Boards Association in recognition of exemplary programs. Honorees were identified from a large pool of applications submitted by educators and school administrators from all over San Mateo County. 

Cipriani Principal Maria Lang-Gavidia credits the two fifth grade teachers, Alexander and Suydam, and Newsom, the school’s learning center teacher, for the award.

“I pulled the components together and submitted it to the county," Gavidia said. "The Fifth Grade Service Program is a wonderful way of embedding the things we want the children to learn into everyday life.”

For the fifth graders at Cipriani, participation in the innovative program has become a culminating experience that reflects the school’s core values of service, responsibility and leadership.

Gavidia explained the program has three components: a school wide service project; daily jobs such as flag raising and recycling; and peer service such as tutoring, technology aides, and conflict management.

All fifth grade students are expected to participate in at least one of the three components.

“The students take a lot of pride in it,” said Gavidia. She noted that the students in lower grades look forward to becoming fifth graders to take part in the program.

“This is a big deal; they are really proud of themselves. Peer service gives the students a real sense of leadership at the school, and it’s important to the staff that they give this leadership role to the kids.”

Fifth grade teachers receive training in a conflict management model through the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, and they in turn teach their students the “Talk it Out” program to be used on the playground, in the classroom and at other places.

Students choosing the peer service component of the program must complete an application and write an essay describing their strengths and what skills they offer the program. A teacher must then approve the application.

School service projects include Fall Festival and Spring Field Day, in which the fifth grade students invent and build a booth or game, including all rules, objects of the game and prizes.

Gavidia said this teaches the kids teamwork, problem solving, mentoring, task completion and community service. In addition, it imparts cognitive skills by challenging the students to think about things such as “How do we make this game fair?” and “How do we make it so everyone has fun?”

Fifth grade teacher Chris Suydam underscored the long-term goals of the program. “It builds character and makes kids more responsible. And learning conflict management helps them with their own problem solving skills.”

“The kids take their work very seriously,” said Katie Newsom, the school’s learning center teacher. “And right now the fifth graders are getting ready to pass the torch and introduce the program to the fourth graders.”

Although the program is only available at Cipriani, Gavidia noted it could easily be implemented in other schools. “It’s basically free, and can easily [be] replicated by other schools. The model can be easily adjusted to fit the needs and culture of any school.

“It fosters a very positive school and community climate,” Gavidia said.