Thank
you to all the students
who entered our
"Light the Way"
writing
competition.
Read
the Essays by our Winners
Below!
3rd & 4th
Grade Winners |
5th
& 6th Grade
Winners |
7th & 8th
Grade Winners |
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Brock Settlemier
Corpus
Christi School in
Piedmont 3rd Grade
Corpus Christi school
helps me be a better
person by teaching
me to love and respect
my teachers, friends,
family and neighbors.
Corpus has taught
me the joy of helping
others. We give food,
warm coats, and money
to people in need.
We donate our time,
or love and spread
peace. We are proud
that, through giving,
we are able to help
our community and
brighten the lives
of people less fortunate
that us.
Corpus makes me
happy and teaches
me how to be a good
Catholic Christian.
I hope through my
school and good deeds
that I can “light
the way” for
my community and
make it a great place
to grow up.
Brenna McKinley
Holy
Family School in
San Jose, 4th Grade
I believe that my
school lights the
way for me and my
community because
my school is a family
that lives together,
learns together,
and will always be
together. As we live
and learn together
we are persons of
faith and we try
to act like Jesus.
We are responsible
citizens and we treat
each other with respect.
We make good choices
and are life-long
learners. We work
hard every day and
do outreach projects
to help other people
have better lives
and experience God's
love through us.
This is how my school "lights
the way" in
my life and my community's
life.
Vu Truong
St. Hilary
in Tiburon, 4th Grade
My school lights
the way in my community
and in my life by
teaching us about
God and how to be
kind and good. Another
way, that my community
helps me is by teaching
me how to be a life
long learner. My
community lights
the way by giving
me guidance and support.
The teachers teach
how to be like Jesus
and follow God’s
plan. I have learned
in my class to treat
others how I would
like to be treated,
following the Golden
Rule. My community
has taught me that
I am a beloved child
of God.
Timothy Ngo
St. Lawrence
School in Santa Clara,
5th Grade
At Christmas we
celebrated the birth
of Jesus, who is
the light of the
world. Each of us
is also called to
be the light of the
world for others.
My school, Saint
Lawrence Elementary
and Middle School,
reminds us that we
are called to be
the light of the
world for others
here and all over
the world.
At Saint Lawrence,
I have learned that
I can light the way
for others by doing
community service,
being a good role
model, and being
kind to everyone
I meet. For example,
we have donation
drives when we donate
warm coats, food,
and money for people
in need. Also, we
follow good Christian
behavior to set a
good example for
the younger students
at our school. We
use good, clean language
on the playground,
we play fair, and
we respect teachers
and other students
and their property.
Finally, we are kind
to classmates, helping
them with class work,
include them at recess
play, and don’t
bully them. By doing
all these things
I can light the way
in my school community.
We also learned
that we can light
the way for others
all over the world.
For instance, we
pray for peace at
Mass and donate money
for the poor in other
countries. Also,
we collect school
supplies we don’t
need and send them
to students in other
countries who can’t
afford any. During
Christmas, we collected,
cleaned, and sent
stuffed animals to
children in our local
community as presents.
All of these things
bring light to others
in our community
and around the world.
Saint Lawrence Elementary
and Middle School
teaches us to “Light
the Way” in
our community and
in the world by living
the Gospel in our
daily lives. We learn
to treat others with
kindness and respect
and to help those
who need our help.
In this way, we can
share Christ’s
love for us with
others and bring
light into our world.
Brianna Rodrigues
Holy
Family School in
San Jose, 5th Grade
At Holy Family School
we “Light the
Way” by doing
community outreach
projects. Our school
has food drives a
couple times each
year to give canned
food to Second Harvest
Food Bank. Last year
our school recycled
cell phones to save
the environment.
Before Christmas,
my class earned money
to buy gifts for
the elderly. My school
helps “light” my
life by showing me
how to act and help
others in the community.
As we do more for
the community, I
realize that it is
more about others
than myself. Each
month students at
Holy Family participate
in outreach projects
to help the community.
During the food drives
our class usually
fills three barrels,
which are then donated
to needy families.
When our school,
collected cell phones
they were recycled,
so we could have
a safer environment.
My favorite outreach
project was when
my fifth grade class
and one of the fourth
grade classes went
shopping to buy gifts
for the elderly at
Christmas time, with
the money we earned
from doing chores.
All these projects
help “Light
the Way” in
our community.
By serving the community,
it helps me to be
a better person.
Even though I am
only ten years old,
I can see that I
can still make a
difference. Helping
others “Lights
the Way” in
my life, by opening
my eyes to see what
happens in the real
world. I can see
I am blessed. I am
proud to be a part
of Holy Family School.
Jill Marie Millare
Our
Lady of Perpetual
Help School in Daly
City, 6th Grade
Our Lady of Perpetual
Help School lights
the way because of
its dedication to
the formation of
the whole child,
spiritually and academically.
OLPH School is always
committed to provide
quality education
not just academically
but also integrates
Catholic values in
its curriculum. Our
Lady of Perpetual
Help nourishes the
intellectual, social,
physical, psychological,
and spiritual growth
of each child. I
also learned that
the school supports
and encourages the
role of teachers,
staff and parents
as religious educators
to the whole OLPH
community. Our Lady
of Perpetual Help
School teaches the
students to respect
themselves and others.
It teaches the students
to appreciate various
cultures and encourages
emotional growth
and development.
I am so grateful
for all the things
that the Our Lady
of Perpetual Help
community has done
to me. OLPH helped
me to develop my
abilities like the
appreciation for
arts, math, language
and science. I have
continued to grow
emotionally, academically
and have strong Christian
values with the help
and guidance from
our principal, teachers
and staff. I have
also developed the
interests in sports.
OLPH School developed
a physical education
program that provides
us students games
and exercises. OLPH
doesn’t only
teach us to win but
also to have fun
and have good relationship
with our team mates,
coaches and players
from other schools.
These are just some
of the things that
the OLPH School has
provided and taught
me. This will always
help me deal with
my daily life.
Our Lady of Perpetual
Help School will
continue to light
the way for my future
and the whole community
as well.
Francesca
Puccinelli
St. Veronica
Catholic School in
S. San Francisco,
7th-8th Grade
It is 8:00 A.M.
in South San Francisco
on a Tuesday morning.
You see the low,
hanging clouds drifting
near a hill that
says “South
San Francisco the
Industrial City.” You
hear a chorus of
prayers being said.
Next a child comes
in front of all of
his or her schoolmates
holding the American
flag and students
reciting the Pledge
of Allegiance. Students
are filing into classes
now for a day of
learning. “This,” you
say, “must
be St. Veronica Catholic
School.”
After the hustle
and bustle of the
first two classes,
it is recess time.
The seventh graders
are playing a game
of basketball and
you see how compassionate
they are towards
each other. One of
them trips, and they
all come scampering
toward the injured
player. “These
kids,” you
state, “are
like a family.” Recess
ends as the bell
rings and the kids
head into the gym
for a project to
help those in need.
The children gather
in groups with one
member from each
grade called school
families. They are
creating baskets
for the less fortunate.
In the library there
is countless number
of baskets that the
student council will
be bringing to a
homeless shelter.
You are sure that
the recipients of
the baskets will
be overjoyed to receive
them. In a flash,
the day is over and
it has been a great
experience for you
to see how St. Veronica
lights the way for
its students to be
leaders in whatever
their future dreams
may be.
Brenna Hyland
Corpus
Christi School in
Piedmont, 8th Grade
My Corpus Christi
community, while
small within the
greater Christian
world, provides a
path for hundreds
of families to celebrate
together. Our community
provides a nourishing
circle of life, encouraging
young things to grow.
We are all citizens
of this garden. My
garden is watered,
fed, and encouraged
by God; and the energetic
staff of my school
and our neighboring
church. I notice
tangled weeds straightened
into blooming tulips;
conceited roses becoming
joyful daisies. A
garden requires many
small necessities
but they all matter
to have it thrive.
Water, light, and
love are needed for
our spiritual survival.
I think of the unruliness
of the kindergarteners
and the strength
of the eighth graders
combined with the
wisdom of the alumni
who return at every
possible event. Each
fulfills an important
component to complete
our garden. Similarly,
the light of God
illuminates the way
to Jesus, love, and
our lives. If we
do not choose to
live in this light,
we will not complement
the full garden that
the Corpus Christi
community had kept
thriving for over
50 years.
My classmates and
I are encouraged
to help the less
fortunate, local
and worldwide. We
have built and maintained
the Butterfly Garden
at our local AIDS
Outreach Center,
and recently, we
have engaged upon
fundraising for 2
wells for communities
in Uganda. Following
Jesus’ word,
I am striving to
be a caring person
so that my path through
the fields ahead
is filled with joy,
laughter, love, and
the light of God.
Lisa
Dimech
St. Veronica
Catholic School in
S. San Francisco,
8th Grade
A
Lighthouse for Others
Webster’s
dictionary defines
light as “Energy
producing a sensation
of brightness that
makes seeing possible”.
To me, St. Veronica
Catholic School in
South San Francisco
is like a lighthouse
that gives off energy
and points me in
the right direction.
St. Veronica’s
has taught me to
look beyond myself
and to reach out
to others. By participating
in school community
service activities,
I have been inspired
to go the extra mile
and come up with
my own projects to
help needy people
right in my own backyard.
This year before
Thanksgiving, I organized
a Children’s
Book Drive at school.
Through my research,
I discovered that
there are many children
right in my own community
that do not have
access to books in
their homes, schools,
or libraries. I proposed
the idea of a Book
Drive to my principal
because I thought
donating used books
would be a simple,
yet free, way to
help children. I
believe that placing
books in the hands
of needy children
will benefit them
for years to come.
My goal was to motivate
the students to donate
1,000 gently-used
books; however, we
exceeded my target
by collecting 2,010
books for the Children’s
Book Project in San
Francisco.
Mahatma Gandhi preached, “You
must be the change
you want to see in
the world.” I
strongly believe
this is true! St.
Veronica School and
my family have given
me the foundation
and now it is up
to me to build on
these principles
and become a lighthouse
for others.
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