St. Michael First Graders Donate More Than $200 to Congregation of St. Joseph

WHEELING — Before they left school to relax and enjoy their summer break, the students in St. Michael Parish School’s first grade came together as a group for one final act of kindness – to present a $217 donation to the Congregation of St. Joseph in Wheeling. What has now become a five-year tradition for first grade, the 30 students collected their loose change all year long so they could make a special gift to the sisters who reside at Mount St. Joseph.

Teacher Mary Smoulder says even at a young age, children experience a sense of joy when they know they have made a difference in someone’s life. “Our students are so excited to make this gift to Mount St. Joseph every year,” Smoulder said. “It makes it even more special when the children actually get to meet the sisters and find out how the money will be used.”

And so it was this year when Sr. Mary Alice Girrens, administrator at the Congregation of St. Joseph, and Sr. Carol Hannig visited with the first graders to accept their gift.

“What you have done means so much to us,” Sr. Mary Alice told the children. “Every year we are so surprised and thankful to learn a donation has been collected. Since 2007, first graders here at St. Michael’s have donated a total of $1,377 to Mount St. Joseph.”

Past donations have been used for a variety facility enhancements, including new furniture for the gazebo and a new flagpole. This year, Sr. Mary Alice said the children’s donation will help buy a new bench for the sisters’ newly expanded walking path on the Mount St. Joseph grounds.

With a mission to “challenge students spiritually and academically for the 21st century,” St. Michael’s boasts a rigorous faith-based curriculum, an unrivaled tradition of student community service, state-of-the-art SMARTBoard technology, and top-notch athletics and extracurricular activity programs. Welcoming students of all faiths and preparing them to be good stewards, St. Michael Parish School is “rooted in faith and committed to excellence.”

St. Michael's Parish

St. Michael First Graders Donate More Than $200 to Congregation of St. Joseph