When it comes to the pride teacher Brendan Bailey and his seventh-grade homeroom, 7C, have in St. Ursula School, Parkville, you can see it all on their shirts.
To help celebrate this year’s spirit day, Mr. Bailey’s 29 students purchased blue T-shirts with gold letters that read “7C rox my sox.”
The students wanted to do something to make their class stand out at spirit day, said Mr. Bailey.
Mr. Bailey asked the children to bring in at least $10 for their shirt and any money left over would be donated to Father James Farmer, pastor of St. Ursula, to put toward the parish’s $1.2 million capital campaign.
According to Mr. Bailey, who has been teaching reading and English at St. Ursula for two years, his students were very excited about the idea, especially giving back to the parish they have been growing up in.
The St. Ursula parishioner and teacher said the project had a dual purpose of showing the students spirit and charity.
“It showed them they can be excited about something and not in a selfish way,” said the 24 year-old teacher.
The purpose of St. Ursula’s capital campaign is to renovate the lower church into a meeting place for the parishioners, said Sister Joan Kelly, S.N.D. de N., who has served as principal of St. Ursula for more than 20 years. The school is currently used for meetings and activities, but it would be more convenient to have a meeting area on the parish grounds, she said.
“It will be a big improvement for our seniors,” said Sister Joan.
“Our kids are all so generous to so many,” said the principal, who is proud of her students for helping out with the campaign and the numerous other fundraisers they do. “They see a need and they try to fill it.”
Sister Joan said the school is a parish school and therefore should be involved in the goings on of the parish because her students are the future. She expressed how important it is for the children to feel that they are a part of the parish as well as the school.
“The kids really do respond to everything you ask them to do,” Sister Joan, smiling.
April Mueller, 12, said helping others is a good thing and by giving money to the parish, her class was doing what was right.
“We try to give as much money as we can to those who need it,” said 12 year-old Matt McGreevy while fellow seventh grader, Jason Wildt said, “We always love to help others. We get a great education and we need to give back.”
Mr. Bailey added, “it’s encouraging to see young people excited about doing good things. You just don’t see it enough.”