The success of the curriculum has spawned other components under the umbrella of the social development project. Students now engage, for example, in a number of community service projects like raking leaves for elderly citizens and raising money for a former student who had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. Another component is student support, a series of initiatives in which the school staff reinforces the social and emotional growth of students. Last year, teachers volunteered to pilot an after-school homework session for students in grades four through six. A mentoring program is being developed to help fourth, fifth and sixth graders with academic problems.
Parental partnerships are also an important component.
Cavanaugh has conducted evening workshops to explain the social development project and tell parents how they can help. A parent committee has been organized to promote parental involvement, and parents sit on the steering committee that plans and evaluates the project.