School Life
Community Service
Service Builds Caring and Leadership
The Community Service program at The Benjamin School supports the School's mission by inspiring students to develop personal responsibility, concern for others and a commitment to serve society. The program also reinforces the School's character traits and strives to teach children how to apply knowledge and interactive skills that address important school and community needs. Students discover new interests and abilities, learn to work cooperatively and assume leadership roles, as they experience the value of caring and helping others. The entire Benjamin community of students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff work together to make a positive difference through a variety of community service efforts.
2022-2023 School-wide Community Service Initiative
It is a pleasure to announce the school-wide community service project every October. This year is no exception. Organizations within our community submit applications for these partnerships and our selection is made by a committee through a carefully defined process. It is with a sense of excitement that I announce that Benjamin will be collaborating with The Headstrong Project for our 2022-23 school-wide project.
Since 2012, Headstrong has continued to pioneer the delivery of mental health services to the military-connected community and increased their access to equitable mental health care. Care is brought directly to their clients. Their network of military-informed, trauma-trained, private practice clinicians minimizes wait time and provides seamless coordination of care to maximize program utilization, treatment adherence, and client retention. Clients receive cost-free care in or near the communities where they live, eliminating a waiting list, transportation challenges, and privacy issues. To date, the Headstrong Project has provided free mental health treatment to 3,338 active-duty military, veterans, and their families across 13 states, including Florida through a network of over 500 clinicians.
Benjamin's school-wide projects have addressed issues in the areas of hunger, homelessness, child and adult health, education, people with disabilities, children in foster care, and hurricane relief. These projects have been extremely successful and meaningful thanks to all of you. This is the first time we will address the needs of active and veteran military personnel. Concern for others and a commitment to serve society are included in the School’s mission statement and have always been an integral part of Benjamin’s culture.
As we begin this year’s annual partnership, it is important to outline various efforts we plan to undertake during the course of the year. However, our plans always expand because of the creativity and generous spirit of the Benjamin community. Included below are some of the many TBS-Headstrong Project partnered initiatives proposed for this school year.
-
WOW Annual Trike-a-Thon: The youngest TBS students will be invited to bring art supplies to donate to the summer camps held for children of veterans
-
The Middle School will hold its annual Veterans’ Day Ceremony on Grandest Friends’ Day and will recognize all veterans in attendance
-
Thanksgiving placemats will be made by PK for patients in the local VA Hospital
-
Toys from the annual Holiday Toy Drive will be donated to veterans to give to their children
-
Valentine’s gift bags will be donated to case workers at the VA
-
Games and puzzles will be collect by Grade 2 and shared with veterans and their families
-
A Halloween Costume Drive will be held by Grade 3 for the children of veterans
-
Veterans and their families will be invited to various school performances
-
Middle School advisory groups will collect and package items for men and women serving in the military overseas
-
A hygiene item collection for veterans
-
A collection of household items for veterans who need them
-
A school-wide letter-writing campaign to thank our service men and women
-
Presentations for upper and middle school students about mental health by Dr. Amy Williams, Clinical Director of Project Headstrong
-
Age-appropriate activities to teach students how to cope with stress
This is a sampling of activities being considered. As has been done in the past, we encourage all constituent groups to participate as we build upon our culture of giving to the local and broader communities. How better to achieve this important part of the School’s mission than to work together in partnership with The Headstrong Project as we continue to positively impact our community.
Sincerely,
Susan Poncy
Director of Student Services PK3-8
Main Address & Lower/Middle School
11000 Ellison Wilson RoadNorth Palm Beach, FL 33408
Ph: 561.626.3747
A premier PK3 - Grade 12 independent, coeducational day school with campuses in North Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Since 1960, The Benjamin School has provided a challenging college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a structured, nurturing community environment.