Saint John School Faith in Action classes in the third trimester have been quite busy planning a variety of projects. The sixth grade has come up with a particularly ambitious project to put together bags of essential items for people who may be homeless. They have had several meetings with the school administration and have enlisted the aid of Mrs. Kathy Osborne and several fifth-grade seamstresses who are coming in to help the class members sew the bags during the next few class sessions. The sixth graders plan to assign items, such as combs, soap, water, energy bar, etc., to each grade level and start a competition – possibly among faith families —to see which groups can complete the most bags, earning one point per bag. The top point-earners will play in a small tournament of kickball. The details are still being worked out and will be communicated to all once the plan is set.

Seventh grade is planning a trip to Belmont Village to visit with senior citizens at all levels of care there. They plan to make friendship bracelets with them, entertain them with live music and a magic show, possibly play games, and just spend quality time in conversation. The joy that will be generated by this visit will surely be memorable for all.

Eighth grade is organizing a June 4 pancake breakfast for fifth through eighth graders, any parents/parishioners who would like to attend, and food pantry patrons. Youth minister Isaac Deken, pancake breakfast organizer extraordinaire, is coming into class every Monday to guide the students in this endeavor. Incorporating this service into graduation week is both fitting as they cap off their service through Saint John School and also very generous of the students. They have decided to donate all the proceeds to Stand Up for Kids, a national organization (with local programs based in Oceanside and San Diego) whose mission is to end the cycle of youth homelessness.

Eighth grader Sydney H. is planning a special non-perishable food collection on the next Stewardship Day (May 4). Instead of the food going to the parish food pantry as it usually does, it will go to military families at Camp Pendleton who often struggle to make ends meet. Sydney will be sending out a special list of preferred foods for this collection and is hoping for 100% participation.

A group of about 20 sixth through eighth graders and some of their parents volunteered at Miracle League this past Saturday, April 21, to help kids and teens with physical and mental challenges enjoy the great game of baseball. The students enjoy this so much that they often wish to sign up year after year.

In addition to the middle school class projects, kindergarten has collected from Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl during Lent. Second and fourth grades have held lemonade stands to continue to support the Corazon students’ education (first graders and kindergartners will run the May and June stands, respectively), and fifth graders collected cookies for the Kairos prison retreat. Eighth graders continue their regular service to the food pantry every Monday morning.

All of this service draws everyone closer to God as they encounter Christ in the people they serve and feel the joy of the Spirit’s love through personal interaction and the generosity they offer.