MADISON — Blessed Sacrament School in Madison nurtures servant leadership beginning in three-year-old kindergarten all the way through eighth grade.
Each trimester, an all-school service project involves each and every student.
Principal Steve Castrogiovanni sees it as an important part of his job “to instill a sense of purpose in our students along with an acknowledgment that each of us has a responsibility to serve those in need.”
“Excellence in academics is a given, but service to others is what sets us apart,” Castrogiovanni noted. “Older students help the younger ones and it’s great bonding in addition to showing students they can make a difference in our world.”
Service projects
The students collected diapers for their all-school Catholic Schools Week service project.
“Bundle the Bottoms Brigade” is an annual diaper drive for Pregnancy Helpline, a non-profit serving Madison families with pregnancy and infant-related needs. Last year, Blessed Sacrament collected more than 14,000 diapers.
Pregnancy Helpline projects that they will distribute about 20,000 diapers per month this year, so we increased our goal to 20,000. The boxes are already stacking up in our school foyer.
Earlier this year, we held our annual Hunger March. Students put their “best foot forward” in collecting pledges before the march and in walking, marching, and outright sprinting around the block on the day of the event.
Students raised a record $18,500 and chose local food banks and meal programs to receive funding as well as regional, national, and international programs working to establish food security for vulnerable populations.
Creating gift boxes for Samaritan’s Purse-Operation Christmas Child was up next.
“Mr. C.,” as Principal Castrogiovanni is known, said that Operation Christmas Child is a tangible way to demonstrate God’s love for children all around the world.
Students collected stuffed animals, small board games, dominos, and the like as well as hair ribbons, school supplies, and personal hygiene products.
They packed the items along with handmade greeting cards into shoe-box size boxes.
“The kids really embrace the project, and during packing time, it feels like you’ve walked into Santa’s workshop,” said Castrogiovanni. “We filled and shipped more than 200 boxes and just received word that our boxes went to children in Malawi and Columbia.”
Celebrating a century
Blessed Sacrament Parish is celebrating its 100th year anniversary this year.
Our school celebrates 98 years of academic excellence and continues to invite students and their families to learn and grow in the values of truth, justice, compassion, partnership, and community.
Enrollment is now open for 2022-23. For more information, contact the school office at 608-233-6155 or visit school.blsacrament.org