Students look forward to Catholic Schools Week for many reasons: the out-of-uniform days, a break from the homework load, the pep fest, and more. Though these things are all wonderful opportunities to celebrate attending a Catholic school, one element, in particular, stands out: serving others.
At Providence Academy, it is important that the students learn the value of using what they have to help others in need. During Catholic Schools Week, which ran from January 31 through February 4, students took a break from the classroom to spend the morning in service before being rewarded with a fun afternoon excursion.
Upper School students created 140 Valentine cards for sick children at the Children’s Hospital Minnesota – Minneapolis, made 300 sandwiches and collected 200 personal care product kits for homeless people, and crafted more than 60 fleece blankets for children at Sojourner Project and St. Joseph’s Home for Children. This allowed students to work together with peers to provide warmth, toiletries, food, and kind words for those in need.
Grace Counts, ‘23, reflected, “It was fun to be able to support the community while doing so with our friends. The service day was both a fun event for students and a beneficial event for those in need.”
The Atrium, Lecture Hall, and Study Hall were filled with enthusiastic students enjoying time with their friends while working hard to complete their service projects. Ronan Flanigan, ‘22, added, “Because we live such busy lives, it was a great opportunity to spend time serving others during the school day. It was good to know that we could help others while still having an enjoyable morning at school.”
Another way students showed their appreciation and support to the community was on Thursday morning when the National Honor Society (NHS) organized a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. NHS cohorts made cards for each teacher and provided a catered breakfast for all the teachers and faculty.
Eleanor Young, ‘22, noted, “Our teachers do so much for us every day. It was great to be able to see the smiles on their faces when they came down to get their card and breakfast. It was a great opportunity to show them our appreciation.”
In addition to the great feeling of serving others, it also created a break for students. Ellie Millerbernd, ‘22, concluded, “Especially during the busy month of February, with sports, extracurricular activities, and a heavy school load, it was great to take time during Catholic Schools Week to serve others.”