The entire St. Margaret’s student body gathered at Tartan Field this week for the annual all-school spring service, a treasured day of prayer and reflection which also served as the kickoff for the annual all-school service learning project.

 

With bright sunshine and a sense of joy, excitement and community with students, professional community and many parents in attendance, students and chaplains shared joyful songs, readings and prayers. Head of School Will Moseley and The Reverend Canon Robert Edwards, head of chaplains at St. Margaret’s, both shared moving words on the power of love as an action to impact each other, define the St. Margaret’s community and to impact the world that preceded the introduction of this year’s all-school service learning project.

 

“For the past several years, the St. Margaret’s community has joined together in the spring for an All-School service learning project,” A Lower School student told the student body. “This is an opportunity to embrace St. Margaret’s Episcopal Identity, and live out our school’s mission to ‘educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service.’ It also allows us to demonstrate our Core Values, especially these three: Character, Community, and Equity and Inclusion.”

 

This year’s all-school service learning project is in support of the Infant Pantry, a new program hosted by St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church. Last year, leaders of the Church identified a community need to serve families caring for infants, helping with the costs of items like diapers, formula, wipes and more.

 

As a way to help the Infant Pantry gather supplies for their monthly distributions, the St. Margaret’s school community will rally together to help. Students in all divisions will also be learning about the needs of local families with infants.

 

The Early Childhood School will be holding a drive to collect Pedialyte packets to be distributed by Infant Pantry to families during their monthly distributions. Students will also tour the Infant Pantry and partner with the Middle School for a shared learning experience (see below).

 

Citing a need for baby formula, the Lower School will be holding a formula drive over the next month, cleverly titled the Formula 500. “Our goal is to bring 500 containers of baby formula called Enfamil Gold and Purple Formula that can be distributed by the Infant Pantry,” a Lower School student speaker said. Students will partner with the Upper School for a shared learning experience (see below).

 

The Middle School will also have a formula drive for Infant Pantry, but their focus will be on Enfamil Red Formula. “The Infant Pantry wants to have several kinds of formula so families can get the kind they need,” a Middle School student speaker said. “We will also be collecting squeeze packets of baby food as those are needed as well.”

Middle School students will also be partnering with the Early Childhood School to read books with stories about families with babies, to learn more about the needs of families with infants.

Many Upper School students have already established a relationship with Infant Pantry, as four advisories have been supporting the program during the division’s service-learning block.

Over the next month, all Upper School students will join the effort.

“The entire Upper School will be supporting Infant Pantry by holding a drive for baby wipes, which are highly needed just like diapers,” an Upper School student speaker said. “We will also be making fleece blankets in all 54 of our advisory groups to provide to families for their babies, as a source of warmth and comfort.”

Additionally, the Upper School will be partnering with the Lower School over the next month to together learn more about the needs of infants in our local community during Chapel and through additional conversations.  

 

Professional community members, in particular those who do not work in a specific division, will be holding a drive of their own, collecting Gerber Single Grain Rice cereal for distribution.

Families: For ways to participate in the school-wide drive by division and to access St. Margaret's Infant Pantry Amazon shopping list, click here.  To learn more about the Infant Pantry, visit the St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church website.