Our Lady of the Wayside School students learn lesson at movie

Our Lady of the Wayside's kindergarten to eighth-grade students recently walked as a large group into downtown Arlington Heights to watch the movie "Small Foot."

The idea for this came from Our Lady of the Wayside teacher Carrie Ryan.

"I saw a review of the movie and I knew that the message of courage and staying true to yourself matched up with what we are studying this month in Virtues, the virtue of Courage," said Ryan.

As the Virtues team planned the monthly Buddy activity, they decided that a movie outing would help the students get to know each other and give them easy conversation points to talk with their buddy about Courage.

Luckily, the new general manager at CMX Cinemas, Vinnie Scardima, grew up as an Our Lady of the Wayside parishioner and was very happy to open the theater just for Our Lady of the Wayside students.

"We want to be a good community partner," he said, "and this is an easy way to help out."

The day was even more special for the students because Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes was able to speak to the students before the movie started.

"It is important to always stand up for what it is right," the mayor reminded the students.

Our Lady of the Wayside students definitely thought a movie outing was a great buddy activity. The older students held hands with the younger students as they walked into town and then the buddy pairs sat next to each other in the movie theater. They could all be heard talking about the movie on the walk back to school.

"The movie showed our buddy how you don't have to be afraid to be yourself," said one seventh-grader.

"It was really cool to hang out with my buddy," remarked a second-grader.

The Our Lady of the Wayside Buddy Program pairs a younger student in preschool to third grade with an older "buddy" in grades four through eight. Monthly buddy activities offer a chance for students to become friends with someone outside their grade; the activities are usually focused on faith and service.

Our Lady of the Wayside School is dedicated to enriching our students' minds, fostering a deep and meaningful faith in each child and expanding their talents. Our Lady of the Wayside School was established in 1954, and educates students in grades preschool through eighth grade.

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