As the holiday season drew near, students across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools found thoughtful ways to support local families and community organizations. Whether they completed extra jobs at home to raise money for Jeneece Place or assembled personalized hampers for families in need, students of all ages embraced the spirit of giving and made a meaningful difference.
Children Helping Children
At the Junior School, students participated in the annual Season of Caring initiative in support of Jeneece Place, a home-away-from-home for families travelling to Victoria for medical care. Leading the project were the Grade 5 students, who motivated their peers and collected each day’s contributions, carefully tracking the total as it grew.
“It was especially meaningful because it was children helping children,” said Nicole Tripp, Assistant Director of the Junior School. “Students completed extra jobs at home to earn their contributions, which made the act of giving more personal. Supporting Jeneece Place continues to resonate with our community as it helps families in need while fostering empathy and responsibility.”
Hampers for HerWay Home
Middle School classes assembled hampers for HerWay Home, an organization that supports mothers and young children facing challenging circumstances. Each group adopted a family profile, and students contributed a non-perishable food item, a small grocery gift card and a thoughtful gift for a member of that family.
“Projects like this help students our age learn to give back so we don’t grow up being greedy or only thinking about ourselves,” said Grade 8 student Sienna, who saw creating hampers as a meaningful way to understand the impact of giving. “It is important to understand what other families might be going through.”
As students chose toys, books and self-care items tailored to each family, the initiative encouraged empathy, responsibility and a deeper awareness of the realities some families experience within the local community.
Two Decades of Support for Young Moms
At the Senior School, students continued a nearly 20-year partnership with the YMCA/YWCA Young Mom’s Program, which provides housing, counselling and life-skills support for young mothers. Classes received anonymous profiles so they could tailor collections of gift cards and hamper items to each family.
“This partnership gave our students an authentic way to support local families and help create a special holiday that otherwise might have been difficult,” said Reagan Daly, Head of Experiential Education, Service and Global Expeditions. “By contributing gift cards, we empowered young moms to choose gifts for their children while honouring their independence and agency.”
At a school assembly earlier in the season, Young Mom’s Program representatives shared stories of the impact of past hampers, helping students understand the significance of the initiative.
“That context really motivated them to engage,” Daly said. “If our students could empathize, collaborate and work together to brighten a family’s holiday experience, that was a win for everyone.”
Though the projects differed in scale and approach, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 each initiative encouraged students to think beyond themselves and support others during a time of year that can be challenging for many families. Together, St. Michaels University School continued its tradition of community engagement — reminding students that kindness, empathy and generosity have the power to brighten the season for others.
Junior School SMUS students collecting money for the Season of Caring
Middle School students load hampers onto a truck for HerWay Home
Filling hampers to support the YMCA-YWCA Young Moms program
