STRATFORD—St. Mark School in Stratford was recently named the 2019 winner of the Macaroni Kid-sponsored Act of Kindness Week Social Media Contest. For recognition of their efforts, the school was awarded $300, which they donated to the charity of their choice —Foundations in Education, Inc.
Macaroni Kid, a national online publication dedicated to helping parents find local family fun, teamed up with the Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools to spread compassion through the distribution of 20,000 Random Act of Kindness cards across the 26 Catholic schools. Students were awarded Act of Kindness cards when they were witnessed being kind.
St. Mark School Principal, Melissa Warner, saw Kindness Cards as an opportunity to place attention on positive deeds and Catholic values. “This program highlighted the importance that thoughtful, caring acts play in creating a loving and supportive school community – the type of family atmosphere we are proud to have at St. Mark School.”
The elementary school, serving students in Pre-K to 8th grade, chose to donate the contest earnings to Foundations in Education, a non-profit organization created to assist the Diocese of Bridgeport’s ongoing mission to support Catholic education.
Foundations in Education supports innovation in academic and extra-curricular programs, fosters opportunities for the professional development of school leaders and provides tuition assistance to families in need. This year alone, they awarded 1,456 Catholic elementary school students nearly $2.8 million in Bishop’s Scholarship Fund tuition assistance and will be funding grants to educators in the amount of $150,000 across all Diocesan Catholic schools.
“At St. Mark School, our students and faculty have been directly impacted by the kindness and support of Foundations in Education. It is our honor to be able to pay that kindness forward with a charitable donation to an organization that provides tuition assistance to families in need and grant opportunities to school educators.”
Foundations in Education Executive Director Holly Doherty-Lemoine commented, “We are so grateful for the generosity and partnership of both St. Mark School and Macaroni Kids. Just as one act of kindness leads to another, the donation will continue to touch the lives of students who value Catholic education.”
St. Mark School instills in students and faculty the value of service, which is at the core of their teaching. Students learn the value of looking outside of themselves and giving to others, whether in small random acts of kindness or school-wide service projects.
(To find out more about St. Mark School, visit www.stmarkschool.org.)