What Is Happening at Notre Dame Catholic School?

At the beginning of each school year Notre Dame Catholic School picks a theme for the year. This year, 2011/2012, the school’s theme is to Serve One Another With Joy. Serving is at the heart of Notre Dame School’s community whether it is serving the school community, parish community or world community. Service can be an annual event, an ongoing project or something that is needed at the moment. Whatever the need, Notre Dame’s students always serve with joy and enthusiasm.   

The annual Thanksgiving Luncheon for our senior community has taken place for many, many years and Notre Dame’s students have always helped at the luncheon. The student volunteers escort the seniors to their seats, serve food and drink, and help with clean-up after the luncheon. Guest are treated to mass and a game of Bingo after their meal and the students help with these activities too. It is a joy for the seniors to talk with the volunteers and the students to talk with the seniors at this much anticipated and loved Thanksgiving tradition.  

During the Church’s annual food drive in November, third graders spend two weeks collecting non-perishable items from their fellow students. Donations from the students and their families are then added to the parish collection to be divided among a number of local food banks who serve families needing assistance. Both school and parish families are generous with their donations, and with this collection, the food banks are able to stock their shelves through the holidays.  

Notre Dame’s Student Council participates in Adopt-a-Family, which provides Christmas for families without means to buy gifts for the Christmas holiday. Students in kindergarten through 8th grade pay their Student Council Representative 50 cents for the privilege of wearing casual dress once a month during the school year. Using the money from the Casual Dress Days the Student Council shops and wraps gifts for those families they have adopted.   

Each year in October, fourth graders also help with Christmas by collecting new and near new toys for children at a parish in Hatch, New Mexico. Students throughout the school are asked to bring a wrapped gift for a girl or boy. The gifts are then collected and taken to New Mexico for distribution.  

The Senior Thanksgiving luncheon, fourth grade gift collection, third grade food drive and Student Council Adopt-a-Family are long standing service projects at Notre Dame School and will continue as long as there is a need. Notre Dame’s students anticipate these projects each year and are enthusiastic about doing them, and of course, Notre Dame’s families are always generous with their donations.  

Always ready to help, our students were asked this year by the parish to provide a number of care packages for soldiers. Many, many items were contributed as well as cards and letters written for the soldiers by the students.   

Options Food Bank is Notre Dame School’s ongoing project for the year with donations of screw-top pill bottles, water bottles, egg cartons and plastic bags being collected. There is always items for pick-up in the box outside the school office – our families never forget what a difference these small donations make to someone.  

The service projects listed above are only a few of the many Notre Dame’s students provide through the year or have done throughout the years. As in any loving community.

 
TEACHING MINDS AND TOUCHING HEARTS