Global & Local Outreach
The St. John's Parish Day School's Mission is strengthened by our values of respect, kindness, and integrity as we strive to give our students the “tools to grow as strong independent thinkers, people of sound character and active stewards of the World.” We are committed to helping our students become confident and respectful citizens connected to our local and global communities. Our students continually build-on being a kind and generous community of learners through our local and global outreach programs which instills in them the value of helping others without expecting anything in return. Listed on this page are the various ways that we support our local and global community.
Walk for Wamnuyu – Week of January 25th, 2021
Every year the students at SJPDS participate in the Walk for Wamunyu, a walk-a-thon on campus to help raise money for our pen pals in Kenya, specifically the Mbaikini School and the Mbaikini Special Needs School. The money raised has helped fund for a water storage tower, chicken coops, and furniture; help build and outfit a community center including a technology lab; and purchase headphones for the Learning Resource Center, fund computer classes for students at our sister school, Mbaikini Primary, as well as sizeable donations to the purchase of a school bus.
We are excited to keep our outreach tradition of Walk for Wamunyu this year. It may look a little different than previous years, but the kids will be moving through the Walk during their designated PE times throughout the week of January 25th. Please join us virtually to cheer on your child’s class during their designated PE class. A Zoom link will be shared by your student's teacher.
The money we raise this year will be used to purchase Kenyan authored and published books, to sponsor a month of Radio Read Aloud programs, (a Saturday morning Radio show that features a Kenya Connect student reading a story which is combined with a lesson and activity), to support 4 LitClubs which meet weekly with enrichment reading and literacy activities and new LitMoms program (which help women support their children in reading-- most of the moms never finished school beyond 8th grade so most find these sessions informative, enriching and inspirational.) The funds raised will also help to provide the materials like paper, art supplies, and books for the LitClubs.
Contact Ms. Katie Ficca for more information on the Walk for Wamunyu.
Global Citizenship – Partnership with Kenya Connect
SJPDS is a proud school partner of Kenya Connect – A non-profit whose mission is to engage and empower students and teachers in rural Kenya. Through pen pal letters to Kenya and other fundraising activities, our children have seen first hand that they can make a difference in the world. We have also sent several staff members to Wamunyu as part of the Kenya Connect Delegations in the past few years. This partnership with the Mbaikini School is a tangible display of our commitment to one of our Five Gifts: "Development of confident and respectful citizens connected to our local and global communities."
World Kindness Day – Canned Food Drive
On World Kindness Day (Nov 13), our community celebrates being the ‘I’ in KIND with various activities highlighting the importance and impact of kindness. On World Kindness Day 2020, students were greeted upon arrival with uplifting chalk messages that’s were written by our wonderful student council. In addition, the student council hosted a canned food drive and we provided loads of canned and dry goods to three local organizations: The Food on the 15th program (an organization that provides healthy food to seniors who are food insecure), to the Howard County Food Bank and to Grassroots. Students practiced the act of giving by putting their donations into the collection box themselves as they entered school. We also had a wonderful Be the ‘I’ in Kind mural created by one of our wonderful teachers, Mrs. Mintzer!
Christmas Toy Drive for Collington Square
December 6th is the Feast of St. Nicholas, a faithful follower of Christ who has come to be remembered for giving gifts as an expression of God’s love. For over 30 years, St. John’s Parish Day School families and staff have joined with St. John’s Episcopal Church and its Outreach Ministry to prepare holiday baskets for families in need of support and care. Church families donate food and household items, and school families contribute toys and children’s gifts. Each class is assigned a family or two identified through the Club at Collington Square, an after school enrichment program in Baltimore. To learn more about The Club at Collington Square, visit here.
Merry Mail Social
Third Grade students practiced what we recite in our school pledge, by handcrafting holiday cards to spread holiday cheer through the joy of Merry Mail. They participated in the 5th annual Merry Mail Social hosted by Beyond Definition. Founder and CEO, Debbie Bates Schrott, is an alumni parent, a longtime supporter of SJPDS and her firm designed our school's award-winning logo.
The Merry Mail Social is a creative endeavor to send a smile by creating custom holiday cards to support one of three important charities -Operation Gratitude, Cards of Hospitalized Kids, and Sunrise Senior Living. Students identified the organization for which they want to create a card, planned out their design, and then crafted the card. Students learned the importance of giving without expecting anything in return and of being grateful for the positive impact they have on someone's life.
