About Us

Mission Statement To remind our students that a complete education includes a sense of community. Program Goals and Objectives Build a supportive school community; encourage altruism, kindness, and humanitarianism. Involve and connect students to other students, adults, and non-profit organizations. Provide all students with opportunities for success; build self-esteem; teach leadership, responsibility and citizenship. Develop skills in cooperation, collaboration and teamwork. Improve the perception/focus that OIS is an open, active, involved and nurturing school.   OTHERS FIRST RECEIVES THE WILLIAM PENN MOTT, JR. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD! Congratulations to Others First for receiving the William Penn Mott, Jr. Environmental Award! We received this because so many of you participate in Others First. Please continue your support by signing up for activities online now! Read about it in the Orinda News! Learn more about William Penn Mott and his dedication to California State Parks.

The Other's First program has two components:  

Community outreach: OIS students performing community service activities.

Monthly student lunch meetings: where students engage in community service projects (e.g. wrapping presents for the needy, making cards for cancer patients) and which provide a forum to discuss community service and issues related to it. Students receive a half hour of community service credit for attending the meetings.

Student Involvement:
We want all students to be involved in this program and take advantage of volunteer opportunities. To encourage participation, a wide range of activities is offered each month. We expect that students will be positive and helpful, and honor their individual commitments with the community organizations.

Scope of Others First Activities:
The OF program encourages activities that directly serve others. The program supports charitable, altruistic and humanitarian activities. Monthly organized activities through the program must be non-partisan and secular in nature (although many are associated with non-secular organizations). Examples of past organized activities include serving lunch at Glide Memorial Church, packing food at the Contra Costa Food Bank, maintenance work at the Wagner Ranch Nature area, boxing food at the Monument Crisis Center, and environmental restoration through Save the Bay. Service activities performed on campus or at other District schools are also counted.

The program tracks three different types of activities:

• Parents Club sponsored activities: Activities planned and arranged through the program and offered to the entire student body. Organized activities are scheduled October through May of each school year (no organized activities in September or June).
• Lunch Opportunities: Various Activities are offered during lunchtime such as Others First seasonal activities, Green Team, Library, knitting, OIS Garden and more.
• Independent Activities: Activities arranged independently by students and their families. Suggestions for Independent activities could be found here.

Tracking of Hours:
Any amount of time spent performing an activity counts as volunteer hours for the program. This includes any preparation work and travel time. It is our hope that students will learn, through their own experience, the intrinsic rewards associated with being a volunteer. All students participating in the program are treated to an end of the year party. Hours are accepted for activities that occur during the year April 1st through March 31st. June, July and August independent volunteer hours apply toward the next school year. Students performing 25 or more hours qualify for the OIS Principal's Award for Community Service. Those performing 50 hours or more qualify for the President's Volunteer Community Service Award (PVSA). Hours will be posted periodically throughout the school year.