St. Pius students live the spirit of Easter
St. Pius X Parish School's junior high students were living the spirit of the Easter season as they celebrated Holy Week.
The students gathered in the Lombard school's gymnasium on Tuesday with baskets, trinkets and jelly beans along with the mission of preparing Easter baskets for their friends at the Reach for the Moon Foundation.
The nonprofit group, based in Batavia, is dedicated to providing basics for children in need. It works with the surrounding community and donors to provide food, clothing, shelter, education and medical and dental care.
The donation project was planned and organized by one of the school's junior high advisory groups. The groups are encouraged to come up with ideas on how to make a difference in their parish and community.
"Each student was encouraged to bring in baskets and goodies they bought with their own savings," teacher and adviser Malu Popernik said.
"When they were in sixth grade they saved money and went shopping to make Easter baskets for children in need," Popernik said. "The baskets were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House."
As seventh-graders, the same group of girls reached out to a second advisory group and asked them to join in creating baskets for Reach for the Moon.
This year, their idea expanded to include all of the junior high advisory groups.
The students wrote a letter to Principal Dan Flaherty asking for permission to organize the project.
"Two students then met with him to explain our idea," Popernik said. "We then went to each advisory group to invite them to participate. "
The following week, the girls displayed samples of the baskets to give participants ideas of what items to bring.
"It was important to them to explain to their peers that this was an opportunity to share a little bit of what we have with those who have little," she said.
The response was overwhelming as students jammed the gym to pack the baskets.
"My advisory girls are very kind and generous," Popernik said. "It is their hope that the Easter Basket donation will remain a tradition here at St. Pius."