On October 25, a Friday afternoon, Sacred Heart’s seventh and eighth graders came together for a middle school department meeting. Departments is the way Sacred Heart School middle schoolers get to plan events for the school, make posters, and use their leadership skills. All middle school grades, sixth, seventh, and eighth, are split up into 3 groups. Spirituality, Service, and Social with the Vice-Presidents of Sacred Heart School leading them, except for Spirituality, this group is led by the religious coordinator. Each group focuses on something different to do. Service usually does acts of service for the school, Social makes posters and focuses on getting the word out on big events happening at the school, and lastly, Spirituality plans the first Friday Mass each month and also writes the Saint of the month’s biography. Also, the separate groups are put into different classes. Social is in eighth grade, Service is in seventh grade, and Spirituality is in the computer lab or in sixth grade.
The October 25th department meeting only contained grades seventh and eighth, with Social and Spirituality sharing eighth grade and Service with seventh grade. Each group worked on something different that needed to be completed. Social worked on making teddy bear posters and the Ambo banner for Mass. Service worked on counting bottle caps for a little girl, Evelin’s cancer treatments, the Saint of the month’s research and making posters based on their virtues. Spirituality worked on the first Mass of the month of November and made a poster of the Saint of the month’s biography and picture. For the Mass, they needed to make the introduction, petitions, and if they had time, the Morning Prayer.
Many students at Sacred Heart enjoy departments. Paloma Cabral, an eighth grader commented “It’s a lot of fun; you get to meet new people and it’s a nice break from all the work.” Mrs. Manning, the eighth grade teacher also commented, “A great leadership opportunity; it is fun to watch natural leadership qualities form in the students.” Having the support of the middle school teachers also helps make departments successful.
