LOUISVILLE, KY (January 2007) -
Lynette Eul’s 7th grade Sacred Heart Model School religion class donated $170 to sponsor an incoming high school student at Colegio Santa Rita School in Peru for one year. The idea for the Advent project came from Olivia Makk and Leetah Kruer, who often hear Model School teacher Sr. Barbara Jean Luebbehusen OSB talk about the Peru school, where she taught for 15 years.“We first thought about filling a backpack with school supplies, but decided that wouldn’t work,” said Kruer. “Sr. Barbara Jean said that $150 was a year's tuition at Colegio Santa Rita. Olivia and I did the math, and it was $7.50 per student in our religion class. We thought we could do it. We rounded it up to $8 to cover any costs.”
Every grade completes an Advent project to reflect on the true meaning of the season. “Our idea was to raise the money ourselves by doing extra chores around the house or babysitting, not ask our parents. It was much more meaningful. It is the most mature project I’ve ever done,” said Makk. “And we thought of the idea, which makes me more proud. Doing for others helps to make you more rounded.”
“The project made our class feel like we accomplished something,” added Kruer. “Because of our age, it is the first time that we actually did something all on our own. I feel good being able to help someone and doing something worthwhile and productive.”
The $170 will go far in Peru. A year’s tuition for one student, which includes books, paper and other supplies, is $150. The extra $20 will pay for a student’s uniform or school shoes.
“When the students approached me about the project I got very emotional. I was very grateful,” said Luebbehusen who has taught Spanish at the Model School for five years. “This gift allows a student to start high school. It ensures that one more student will go to high school, which is usually when they are taken out of school. Projects like this make our students so much more aware of their surroundings and the needs globally.”
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Sacred Heart Model School (SHMS), a member of Ursuline Campus Schools, sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, is a K-8 co-ed school. SHMS, founded in 1924, promotes excellence in education by focusing on the personal success of each child. Model School students average in the 90% or greater on the Terra Nova, a nationally normed standardized test given yearly to students in Levels 1-7. SHMS offers a well-rounded education including foreign language as part of its core curriculum, performing arts classes within the school day, an array of extra curricular offerings including chess, quick recall, and choir, as well as a comprehensive athletic program. In 2001, SHMS was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Find SHMS online at http://www.ucschools.com/shms.