Large Turnout for Sacred Heart Schools’ Global Service Day
Thank you to all who participated and made the event a success! View the photo gallery here.
The much-loved coastal cleanup tradition at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) this year expanded from the annual high school service event to an all-school activity held Saturday, Sept. 15, in observance of the 200th anniversary of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne opening the first Sacred Heart School in North America.
The Sacred Heart Global Service Day encompassed Sacred Heart Schools around the globe to commemorate the bicentennial.
Registration in the SHS effort was strong from the onset, and the event quickly grew from one planned cleanup location to four: Cooley Landing, Burlingame Trail, Redwood City, and Bedwell Park.
All together, over 200 SHS community members took part in Global Service Day, including 60 from the SHP football team and “a nice balance of P-12 families,” said Kelly Power, P-8 service program coordinator. “It was a beautiful day—families made a few new Sacred Heart connections, and my hope is we continue to take care of our environment,” she said.
The 24 Sacred Heart Network Schools in North America joined efforts with Sacred Heart Network Schools in 15 countries around the globe: Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Uruguay, Canada, Chile, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, and New Zealand.
"Philippine set sail from France 200 years ago across an open Atlantic that was yet unspoiled by industrial development,” said Matt Carroll, SHP service-learning coordinator and religious studies teacher.
“How appropriate, then, that we celebrate her journey by working to restore our coastline. Each piece of trash we keep from entering our oceans is an obstacle future generations won't encounter as they embark to explore their own frontiers."
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
