Educating students for lives of service is a pillar of St. Margaret’s mission, and a meaningful part of student life in every division on campus.

 

In the Middle School, grade 7 and grade 8 students have the opportunity to dedicate one of their electives to serving others. The semester-long class, taught by Middle School Director of Community Life Kylie Middlebrook, seeks to educate students around topics of serving others and creating experiences that benefit their community.

 

“In order to know our community best, we cover units throughout the semester to better understand different groups of people that we may be serving,” Mrs. Middlebrook said. “We strive to meet authentic needs and respectfully serve others, and this class helps students learn what exactly that means.”

 

As an example, a group of students in a previous semester had an interest in serving firefighters as they battled a tough fire season in California. The class learned about authentic needs by reaching out to the department and understanding the challenges of a firehouse during a busy fire season. That led to a meaningful service drive to collect toiletries and other needed items for the first responders.

 

In addition to community outreach, the service class also prioritizes serving other students right here at St. Margaret’s. Just this week, the grade 7 students visited kindergarten classrooms to lead an activity promoting safe use of scissors.

 

The Middle School service elective is one of many ways St. Margaret’s instills compassion, responsibility and a calling to serve others as active and contributing citizens within the community.