The Dalton Middle School is dedicated to developing community and to encouraging civic responsibility. Community outreach and service learning is an integral part of Middle School student life. Reaching out to those in need is an important and fulfilling aspect of Middle School life, one that frequently presents teachable moments which emphasize caring and responsibility and which support Dalton’s commitment to community and civic values.

Fourth grade students learn about civic responsibility as they become “citizens” of the Middle School. To this end, a fourth grade elective program sets the stage for young students to explore their community to expand their understanding of civic responsibility, and to learn the importance of giving and sharing.

In fifth grade, students team up with their First Program Buddy Houses to decorate bags for God’s Love We Deliver, an organization devoted to caring for home-bound AIDS patients by delivering hot, nutritious meals. Students in grades six through eight participate in community service through both the House Curriculum and a grade-level “Day of Service.”

During House, students choose community service organizations to support that are meaningful to their group, while on the “Day of Service” students visit agencies throughout the metropolitan area such as the Harbor for Boys and Girls, Henry Street Settlement, the Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP), the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Head Start Program and Women’s Shelter, and the New York City Parks and Recreation Department.

An important adjunct to service learning in the Middle School is the work of the Community Service Committee. This student-directed committee is extraordinarily active and is sustained by student-generated goals and objectives. Students develop service and outreach projects and implement them through agency visits, collections, and client services. Students work with numerous organizations, including supporting such groups as Common Cents, City Harvest, Ronald McDonald House, the Yorkville Common Pantry, the American Cancer Society, and Foster Care for Infants. Their commitment to outreach, caring, and sharing is exemplified by the good works they do and the appreciation they receive from the people they help and the agencies they serve.