Special to Swellesley via St. Paul School:

Students at St. Paul School have put together nine Thanksgiving baskets filled with fresh turkey, vegetables, and pretty much all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner. Each class in grades one through eight along with the faculty produced a complete basket for one family. Like last year, these baskets were delivered the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Natick Service Council for families in need.

Last fall, newly appointed principal Allie Hoff added something new to St. Paul School’s curriculum: the Monthly Service Project. Each month, students are given a humanitarian focus in which they can donate time and/or goods to a cause selected by school administration. Some of last year’s projects included: a service day and clothing drive for Cradles 2 Crayons; providing presents, clothing, and necessities for a large family in need at Christmas-time; making cards for sick children; and participating in the American Heart Association Jump Rope for Heart.

Third grade class with their Thanksgiving Basket for a family in need

Hoff says that having the entire student body doing service together develops a strong sense of community and teaches students the important lesson about always looking for ways to share their talents and resources with the larger world.

In case you are wondering, the students in the photos are not in their traditional school uniform because they are raising funds for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines with a “TAG Day”. TAG is an acronym for Teach About Giving; in exchange for a no-uniform day, students bring in a small donation for a charity or other worthy causes.