Service Requirements
Each grade at St. John is expected to volunteer service to the school and parish community. Responsibilities are age appropriate and vary from year to year. For example, students in the younger grades may be in charge of keeping the playground free of litter. Older students are often assigned lunchroom duties and help as needed with other campus projects. Sixth grade students are the school’s Safety Patrol.
Service to the wider community is an integral feature of the St. John School experience. All classes participate in a variety of projects that vary from grade to grade. Students are involved in the decision-making process of selecting a charity or project. Some classes will sponsor a family for the holidays, some will support a parish ministry such as Noel House Women’s Shelter or the Baby Corner. School service projects have raised funds and supplies for our sister parishes in Peru and Africa. Frequently, our Middle School students help organize food drives, pizza lunches, or pancake breakfasts to provide relief aid to a community suffering from a natural disaster.
Middle School students (grades six through eight) are required to perform a specific number of service hours each school year.
“My friends and I have gone to St. Mary’s food bank several times…it’s for people who work and have jobs, but still don’t have enough money for feeding their families. I like going there and handing out food to the people in the food line. They are really nice and generous.”
–8th Grade Student
“Service club is a big focus. In eighth grade at Christmas time we went to the Greenwood Salvation Army and sorted toys for kids who weren’t getting any. We went to Fred Meyer as a class and bought gifts for families.”
–St. John Graduate and Seattle Prep Student
“Service Club emphasizes giving back to the community…St. John gets a lot of outside community support….this teaches kids to extend themselves beyond their own community and give back that love and support.”
–8th Grade Parent
