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Community Corner

St. Francis Xavier School Service Day 2013

Jennifer Courier, Community Contributor
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The students at Saint Francis Xavier School in La Grange are proving that one day can make an impact and improve the lives of thousands in our community.  Friday, December 6 was the 4th annual all-school service day at Saint Francis Xavier school.  Saint Francis Xavier's service program has been nationally recognized for excellence by the National Catholic Education Association and the Archdiocese of Chicago.

What is the day like?
On the morning of December 6 all 600 students (preschool through 8th grade) and 175 parent volunteers  headed out on 16 buses to do service projects.  Partnering with organizations both in and around Chicago, students engage in hands-on activities to help make a difference in the lives of others.  Service day assignments include packing food at Feed My Starving Children, visiting with Bethlehem Woods residents, honoring our veterans at the Hines VA Hospital, delivering winter clothing to Marillac House and working side by side with the developmentally disadvantaged at Misericordia.  The day ended with an all school celebration assembly at 2pm in the gym where a photo slide show of the day's activities and a recap from students experiences was shared.

Principal Deb Rodde looks at Service Day as “a true celebration of who we are as a school at St. Francis Xavier.  It is with great pride that we send out our students into the community to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier.  Our students have embraced the belief that it is not only our duty, but our privilege, to serve those in need.  It continues to be very gratifying to see our students graduate and carry this core belief with them to high school and beyond.”

The complete list of events by grade is listed below.

PreSchool 4:  Care for God's Creation
Kindergarten:  Care for God's Creation - Brookfield Zoo
1st Grade:  Care for Our Older Friends- Bethlehem Woods
2nd Grade:  Education - Sisters of St. Joseph school on wheels
3rd Grade:   Poverty and Homelessness - Marillac House
4th Grade:  Hunger - Feed My Starving Children Libertyville
5th Grade:  Veterans - VFW Hall
6th Grade:  Special Needs - Suburbanite Bowl with Seaspar
7th Grade:  Human and Civil Rights - Feed My Starving Children Libertyville
8th Grade:  Social Justice (3 locations) Misericordia, Greater Chicago Food Depository Mobile Packing Site and Greater Chicago Food Depository


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