Saint Olaf School students lend hands of service

Intermountain Catholic

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BOUNTIFUL — Joining hands together, Saint Olaf School community has dedicated this school year as one of service: service to each other and to the larger local and global society.

Faculty, students and parents are committed to our Christian vocation of building the kingdom of God here on earth as we develop awareness of the needs of those around us. The success of the 2008-2009 school year will be measured not only by our academic excellence but by the growth in our love and respect for all people.

Faculty holding the hands of our students, as we recognize the special needs and gifts of each child, is central to our mission. Students are guided through the maze of learning with positive encouragement and compassion.

It is our goal to show them the world and increase their love for learning in order that they will become life-long learners. As role models, we share our faith in the goodness of all God’s creation.

Parents and teachers holding hands together share the journey of educating the students. Parents are welcomed as the primary educators of their children, and supported and reassured that their child is a special gift from God. There are times of laughter as we share in the comic relief of children’s humorous antics, and there are moments of frustration as we all work to find solutions for a child’s difficulties. It is through a positive attitude of respect that we come to lead the students to be the best that they can be.

Reaching our hands out to the community, we embrace service.

The last Monday of each month, students and faculty participate in ‘Jeans for Jesus’. Two dollars from each person is donated to a specified need.

The donation for the month of November was given to the widow of Officer Skinner, a policeman who died while on duty.

Every First Friday and at Thanksgiving, students bring food donations for food banks. Students are guided to become world citizens as they become aware of global issues, especially world hunger and people who are homeless.

Interacting with refugees from Thailand, a group of students are currently reading to and tutoring children who are new arrivals in our country. Also each class has chosen a specific service opportunity to celebrate this year of service.