School's Christmas includes service and play

IC photo by Marie Mische

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Students from Kearns-Saint Ann School sing Christmas carols during a fundraiser at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Sugarhouse, on Dec. 2.

SALT LAKE CITY - The traditional Christmas program at Kearns-Saint Ann School will be replaced this year with a production of the play "Simon Shepherd," which is a retelling of the Nativity story.

"Our music teacher, Mrs. Vickie Maronick, does a phenomenal job of preparing our kids for our Christmas programs every year, but this year, because we have a very, very talented eighth-grade class, she decided to do an actual play," said Christin M. Freeman, the school's advancement director.

Traditionally, St. Ann eighth-graders present the Nativity. This year, they will act in the play and the other students will sing in the choir.

Wardrobe for the play has been undertaken by the school's reading specialist, Susan Pope, and a parent, Carol Smith, who "are making these incredible costumes for the kids," Freeman added. "It's a sight to behold every year, but this year should be extra special with the solos that the kids are singing and with the play and with the talent in that eighth-grade class."

In addition to the play, which will be presented to parents and interested community members at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, students have undertaken a number of service projects during Advent.

"Every year we try to teach the kids the importance of service, service to the community, service to each other, service to the poor," Freeman said. "It is something that we try to instill in them on a daily basis."

For example, every month a different class goes to CHRISTUS St. Joseph Villa to visit with residents. Also, earlier this year the students collected about 10,000 pounds of clothes for disaster relief in the Philippines. At Thanksgiving, they conducted a food drive for Catholic Community Services. For Advent, they have adopted four Salt Lake Valley families as part of a Sub for Santa program. The families were chosen through the Catholic Schools Office.

The families have asked for basic items such as clothing and books, Freeman said. ""It is very humbling for the students and for the parents to realize what people are asking for. We have a lot of families that are at or below poverty level and we're even teaching them how to reach out because there's always someone worse off than you are. It humbles everybody to realize that there's someone worse off than them."

Parisa Nkoy, an eighth-grade student at St. Ann who is co-president of the student council, said service has been instilled in her since she began in pre-school at St. Ann. "Being Catholic, I know that I should try to serve others, for my Catholic identity that I've been taught at St. Anne's."