HFCA students: Minds to lead tomorrow — hearts to serve today
In a world where kindness can sometimes seem rare, a remarkable group of middle school students at Holy Family Catholic Academy (HFCA) is actively working to promote this virtue. Recently the International Baccalaureate World School located in Inverness launched a student-inspired Service over Self Club designed to pursue acts of kindness, compassion and outreach in the community.
This club’s unique journey began when two students, Kaja Maciejewski (seventh grade) and Evalina Wenderski, (eighth grade), separately approached HFCA Middle School Religion Teacher Christine Lopez with an idea to expand service learning in middle school. Seeing the potential in each of these ideas, Lopez recognized an opportunity. She brought the two students together, combining their individual visions and igniting the passion for service in other middle-schoolers. Through her guidance, the “Service Over Self” (SOS) Club was born, bringing students together to make a positive impact both at HFCA and beyond.
The SOS Club meets monthly during middle school’s recess time and the first meeting attracted more than 30% of the middle school students in grades six through eight.
States Kaja, “I was so happy to see so many kids give up their recess time to help people in need.”
The club's first act of kindness used Evalina’s idea to promote breast cancer awareness. Middle school students created cards that included notes of encouragement for women facing the uncertainty and fear that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis. These cards will be shared with a breast cancer imaging location in the area. In addition, the middle school sponsored an all-school event to wear pink and raise money for breast cancer research.
“Service learning is part of our Catholic identity, and many of our IB units incorporate Catholic Social Teachings, such as care for the poor and marginalized, respect for all human life, and care for creation,” explains HFCA Principal Kate O’Brien.
Service learning is also a core component of the IB’s Middle Years Programme (MYP), of which HFCA is a Candidate School*.
The IB’s MYP service-learning model at HFCA encourages students to apply classroom knowledge to impactful, community-centered projects, cultivating a deep sense of empathy, responsibility, and engagement with the world around them.
As Lopez describes, “The SOS club grew organically from the students, which is a testament to the mission and culture of HFCA.”
This student-led initiative exemplifies how the IB framework supports student agency at HFCA, empowering students to use their voices, make choices, and take ownership of their learning journey.
HFCA students are developing as independent, lifelong learners, prepared to meet future challenges with both minds ready to lead and hearts ready to serve.
*Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted.