Catholic elementary schools earn service-learning, STEM grants

Story and Photos By Beth Donze, Clarion Herald
Kids Clarion

At a Sept. 10 awards ceremony at Kenner’s Pontchartrain Center, 13 Catholic elementary schools and eight Catholic high schools received grants from the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation that will help their students conduct service-learning projects this school year.

The foundation financially assists innovative, K-12 projects that link interdisciplinary classroom learning with meaningful, hands-on service endeavors that address issues ranging from hunger and homelessness, to the welfare of seniors, to  environmental prerogatives such as wetlands restoration and recycling.

In all, 60 private, parochial, public and charter schools in Southeast Louisiana received more than $230,000 in grants from Brown – monies that will fund 108 student-led projects that assist the local community and help train Louisiana’s future leaders.

The following Catholic elementary schools received service-learning grants for school year 2019-20:

► Christian Brothers: Kindergartners will continue to work on the schoolwide recycling program and learn about items that can be recycled from The Green Project; second graders will partner with the elderly at Vista Shores to make blankets for Ronald McDonald House.

► The Good Shepherd School: Fifth graders will make sandwiches, write notes of support and take care packages to the homeless guests of the Rebuild Center; they will also research the issue of hunger in Southeast Louisiana; seventh graders will do an arts-and-crafts activity and the Living Stations of the Cross with students at St. Michael Special School.

► Mary Queen of Peace: Seventh graders will go to St. Michael Special School to teach a lesson on Jesus’ calming of the sea. They will present a skit, songs, teach a Bible verse, do a related craft activity and share a snack with the St. Michael students.

► Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Chalmette: Seventh graders will collect aluminum pull-tabs and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House, which earns income from recycling these items. The students will also donate cleaning supplies and pantry items to the home, which provides free lodging and meals to families who come to the area to get medical treatment for their children.

► St. Angela Merici: Fifth graders will make 75 fleece lap blankets for the VA Community Living Center and visit the center during Advent; sixth graders will do literacy-building activities (such as reading together, writing books about their buddies and being pen-pals) with first graders at The Good Shepherd School; seventh graders will learn about community hunger by making 160 sandwiches every week for delivery to the Rebuild Center, serving lunch and distributing blessing bags at St. Jude Community Center and packing and sorting food at Second Harvest.

► St. Anthony, Gretna: Sixth and seventh graders will learn about the needs of the elderly and bring crafts, music and companionship to residents of Our Lady of Wisdom Nursing Home.

► St. Benedict the Moor: Kindergartners will write appreciation letters to the Louisiana National Guard; first graders will learn about pet care and make treats and toys for companion animals at the LA SPCA; second graders will conduct a Mardi Gras bead drive benefitting St. Michael Special School; third graders will adopt a Sister of the Holy Family as a “grandfriend” and assist at Second Harvest; fourth graders will test water and conduct wetland plantings with UNO’s Pontchartrain Institute of Environmental Science. St. Benedict’s fourth graders will also learn about learning differences and design activities for students at St. Michael Special School.

► St. Clement of Rome: Second graders will build fellowship with residents of Sunrise Living Center throughout the school year. In addition to visiting the seniors at their residence (activities will include making blankets together to donate to Angel’s Place), the second graders will also invite Sunrise residents to their Metairie campus for events such as their school Mardi Gras parade and their first Communion luncheon.

► St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Students in grades 4-6 will partner with the LSU Ag Center to learn about Louisiana’s wetlands and perform service work out in the field; sixth graders will visit a local school to conduct lessons and activities on the life cycle of butterflies; seventh graders will feed the homeless at the Rebuild Center and also assemble and distribute gift bags for the homeless containing socks, a rain poncho, healthy snacks, a small gift card and a personal note.

► St. Joan of Arc, LaPlace: Fifth graders will organize a walkathon to raise money for activity cart items and gift cards for patients at Children’s Hospital.

► St. Margaret Mary: Sixth graders will create care packages for the homeless at the Slidell-based non-profits Community Christian Concern and Mount Olive Ministry.

► St. Pius X: Seventh graders will bring activities and fellowship to students at St. Mary of the Angels Head Start.

► Ursuline Academy: Seventh graders will take part in the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, in which they will be introduced to basic macroeconomics, develop business proposals and create products to sell. The raised funds will benefit the Grace at the Green Light organization, a non-profit that provides care to New Orleans’ homeless. Students will assemble and deliver care packages purchased with the money from their self-made businesses.

Brown also awarded “SupportSTEM” grants to seven Catholic high schools and three Catholic elementary schools to enhance classroom instruction in science, technology, engineering and math. The elementary school recipients are:

► St. Benilde, which will use the funds to assist its launching of the Project Lead the Way curriculum for grades 3-7.

► St. Joan of Arc, LaPlace, which will implement a new Science STEMscopes curriculum in the elementary grades.

► St. Ann, which will enhance its existing makerspace in the library by adding robotics-themed activities for younger grades; circuit panels and puzzles for older grades; and new iPads for the school’s Cue, Dash and Dot robots.