Service & Leadership
Serving others and living by our Founder Cornelia Connelly's motto, Actions, Not Words, are cornerstones of the academic and cocurricular programs at Holy Child School at Rosemont.
Service-Learning
Woven into the fabric of our curriculum are opportunities for service-learning projects which connect us to our Holy Child Goals, especially Goals 4 and 5 centered on justice, compassion, and respect for the individual. Our school’s dedicated Service-Learning Committee, composed of faculty and staff, makes intentional choices about causes and charities to support, often with input from Middle School students.
Through hands-on activities such as leading workshops on “Identity and Loving Yourself,” hosting a lemonade stand fundraiser, and assembling care packages of winter clothing and personal hygiene products, all of our students learn about the social impact of their time and contributions to the communities that they serve. Accompanying many of these donations are messages of love, support, and hope written by our students. Each service-learning project offers lessons about challenges that people face with our local, regional, and global communities, and underscores the connection between our faith and the importance of serving others.
Our Service-Learning Activities
Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Patrician Society • Halloween CandyCare Collection • Grade 8 Advent Angels at New Sharon • Cradles to Crayons
Martin Luther King Jr. Morning of Service • Socks of Love Benefitting the Homeless in the Greater Philadelphia Community
PreKindergarten Lemonade Stand Benefitting Alex's Lemonade Stand • Earth Day Service Projects • And Divisional Service Projects that Change Year to Year
Leadership Opportunities
In all grades at Holy Child, there are myriad opportunities for us to instill the qualities and soft skills of leadership – self-confidence, public speaking, organization, compassion, empathy – in our students. It starts with a line leader in Early Childhood and progresses to Student Council, especially the honor of serving as Student Council co-presidents for two Grade 8 students.
We give students regular opportunities to speak in front of a group, to explain a project in class, to organize events, and to develop and present ideas and suggestions. Prayer services, school assemblies, and performances provide students with experiences to apply their leadership skills and grow in confidence.
Leadership in Action
Our younger students are encouraged through:
Collaboratively developing class rules
Addressing playground miscommunications
Solving issues that require discussion and compromise.
Leadership opportunities for older students expand to include:
Planning an event that involves the entire school,
Working through real world problems,
Collaborating to develop a solution or compromise,
Presenting ideas and answering questions, and
Voting or combining solutions for an agreeable resolution that honors the contributions of many.
Beyond these organic moments, direct experiences for children to grow as leaders include:
Planning and implementing grave-level and school liturgies,
Serving on student council,
Organizing school-wide recycling efforts, and
Organizing community service projects and fundraising events (i.e. Bake Sale, Dress Down Days)