Kids in the Community

St. Mel Catholic School perpetuates a strong sense of service in the local community and beyond. We strive to educate the whole child in an atmosphere of faith and academic excellence and a commitment to serve others. Our goal is to help each student become a faith-filled steward who recognizes their potential to make the world a better place. Our Student Learning Expectations focus on the development of self and the care of others.

In order to achieve this goal we challenge our students, families, and faculty to use their gifts and talents to make a positive difference within the community. We believe that children who develop this philosophy will become confident faith-filled students, ethical people, and principled citizens. The measure of success for a St. Mel School alumnus is not determined by the amount of money one may earn, or how famous one may become, but rather one's ability and willingness to recognize Christ in others and make a difference in their lives.

This vision was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI while visiting New York, "Dear Brothers and Sisters, in the finest traditions of the Church in this country, may you also be the first friend of the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer. Act as beacons of hope, casting the light of Christ upon the world." This is also echoed in the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, "We should not feel superior when we help anyone. Those who give materially, receive spiritually. There is an exchange of property that is understood only in a true spirit of poverty, which makes the poor feel that they are equal givers, and not inferior to the truth."

It is for these reasons that all grades TK through Eighth participate in a variety of community service projects. Many of these service projects directly correlate to the curriculum and Student Learning Expectations. As a requirement for the sacrament of Confirmation, each student in the 7th and 8th grade performs 20 hours of community service per school year. St. Mel School truly shines as a beacon of hope for many in our local and global community.

Now in our 50th year, I am proud to say that St. Mel Catholic School continues to carry on the tradition of "service to others" handed down to us by the Sisters of Mercy.