Community Service

Community service or service learning puts the Loretto School Values of faith, community, justice and respect into action, compassionately reaching out to those in need.

Service learning gives even the youngest students opportunities to understand issues around people in need so that even simple food drives become lessons in learning. In 2008-2009, High School students worked at over 120 sites completing over 8,200 hours of serv ice.

High School

The Community Service program at St. Mary's Academy High School exists to provide the students with an opportunity to begin fulfilling the commitment to love, to learn from those we serve, and to discover the best in ourselves and our ability to make a difference in the lives of all people.

Students choose a site for their service in the areas of: environment, food and meals, health, housing, senior citizens and persons with disabilities

Students are able to use community service as an opportunity to learn and grow in ways that are impossible in a classroom.  Although students do not receive academic credit for service, 100 hours are required to graduate from SMA, and hours will be pro-rated for transferring students.  Within each grade level, the students are provided a learning context in which to perform their community service. 

We encourage the students to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves to grow as much as possible.  We offer many service opportunities, including a Spring Break trip to New Orleans and a trip to the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse in Kentucky during the summer.  These allow students to come across challenging situations and experiences that expose the social issues present in the world and the significance and value of their work.

In the 2008-2008, High School students completed over 8,200 hours of individual service hours.  


For further information, contact Ms. Smith at amber_smith@smanet.org

Requirements for Each Grade

Sites

MIddle School

RISE program: All students volunteer in the Read, Imagine, Share & Explore, a literacy and learning for preschoolers.

St. Elizabeth's Food Line: Every advisory group prepares food at least one week a year for homeless persons in downtown Denver. Each week four eighth graders take the food, work at the soup and sandwich line, and help at St. Elizabeth’s kitchen as needed. Middle Schoolers participate in ongoing collections of canned food and ground coffee for St. Elizabeth’s.

Meridian Assisted Living Centers: Fine Arts classes performed for the elders at the Center.

School in Ghana: Fundraisers to help the FST Sisters and the Loretto Community build a school in Akokoamong, where there was not a school.

Letter writing: wrote to troops stationed in Afghanistan.

In addition, advisories initiate other service throughout the year.

Lower School
Students are not only engaged in hands-on service but also learn the how’s and why’s of families who lack basis necessities.

Friends of St. Andrew (sponsored by Queen of Peace Parish): collected, filled and helped Queen of Peace parishioners distribute food baskets at Thanksgiving and Easter.

Aurora Warms the Night: Made blankets and collected toiletries and snacks for homeless persons.

Emily Griffith Opportunity School: collected 1600 books for adult refugees learning English. The refugees planned a culture and country day for the SMA students with time to chat informally and get to know one another.

Earth Day: grade level activities and all-year reuse/recycling efforts Valentines: Student made valentines for residents in nursing care facilities

Afghanistan: student packed boxes of goodies for troops.


(Photos: New Orleans Ninth Ward, Warren Village)