During this season of giving, students have been living out our values, particularly when it comes to SERVICE! At SMS, our Catholic values shape tomorrow's leaders, and resonate through all that we do. From academics in the classroom and good sportsmanship on the athletic field, to reverence at weekly school Mass and commitment to service projects in the community— St. Mary School graduates excel in high school and beyond, because of their strong foundations.
SERVICE is one of those foundational values, and our students have completed numerous service projects recently, including:
Donating warm socks for the homeless (National Junior Honor Society)
Donating canned goods & other supplies to restock the St. Mary's Parish St. Vincent DePaul supply cupboard for AFTER the Thanksgiving holiday (all grades)
Raising money through a bake sale to aid & adopt an endangered species - the Macaw (grade 2)
Continuing this spirit of giving and sharing our blessings, our 8th grade class is once again organizing the "St. Agnes Project" for the Advent season.
Service projects are a part of 8th grade religion class at SMS. Mrs. Julie Leong has been working with the 8th graders on developing the projects, but once a project is chosen it is entirely student led. Students are required to identify a need, make all necessary contacts, clear dates with the school, determine participants, manage volunteers, and tap into many other skills needed for successful project management. Some projects they have developed are school-wide, while others involve just the 8th grade or another class or small group. Mrs. Leong noted,
"Involvement in community service allows the students to take their lessons beyond the classroom and learn how their actions can make the world a better place."
The St. Agnes Service Project helps families in Buffalo's East Side who are served by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Agnes’ Convent. The project is a long-standing tradition at SMS. The service project provides Christmas gifts and gift cards to families who would have no other gifts without the generosity of our students and school families. 8th graders prepared a letter that went home with students from all grade levels, requesting donations of gifts or gift cards for 17 children, as well as a Grandmother who is a caregiver to 5 children. The gifts will be collected at school and delivered to the families in need before Christmas by the 8th grade students.
We can't wait to see what our 8th grade has planned for the rest of the school year, and are so proud of all of our students who exemplify our values of SERVICE & TRADITION for others!
“When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous”. Luke 14:13-14
