LIVONIA — As a new school year begins, St. Edith Catholic School is setting the tone by embracing one of the core values of Catholic education: service to others.
Rather than waiting until later in the year, the school community has launched a series of service projects designed to put faith into action from the very start, correlating with the school patroness St. Edith of Wilton’s feast day on Sept. 16.
Students across all grade levels are participating in age-appropriate projects that connect classroom learning to the Gospel call to serve:
- Preschool and kindergarten students decorated placemats for Clergy Village and colored pages for the local police and fire department.
- First and second graders decorated paper bags for Another Day Resource Center for fourth grade to fill with lunches they made.
- Third graders went to work at Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit, sponsored by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, weeding and preparing the ground as well as harvesting.
- Fifth grade worked at Forgotten Harvest, unpacking boxes and preparing items for donation.
- Sixth grade will visit with Villa Marie retirement village every other Tuesday, and first and second grade will continue their tradition of reading to the residents every other Thursday.
- Seventh grade worked at Fleece and Thank You, making blankets for hospitalized children.
- Eighth grade worked at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, cleaning the facility and assisting the janitorial staff. Students were able to work outside of the building when it was feasible, serving beyond just collecting items.
The service projects at St. Edith ties in with the school's mission of incorporating the seven themes of Catholic social teaching this academic year, particularly the dignity of every human person, the call to family, community, and participation, and caring for God’s creation.
St. Edith's teachers are integrating reflection activities after each service project, encouraging students to consider how even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. The hope is that the projects will spark an ongoing commitment to service throughout the year, fostering a spirit of compassion, generosity, and faith-filled leadership among the students.
This article was submitted by St. Edith Catholic School in Livonia.
