Catholic Schools Week 2020 was an opportunity for SMM to celebrate all the wonderful things we do and who we are as a school. We began by thanking our parent community with signs, cards, and muffins in the morning. We shared our school spirit by wearing SMM gear and heard from Priscilla Rakestraw from the Ministry of Caring about the great services we provide for them. On Tuesday we made 27 trays of baked ziti, 24 trays of fruit salad, and 24 boxes of cupcakes for the Emmanuel Dining Room, as well as 155 bagged lunches, 120 goodie bags for children, and 24 blankets for the kids in care. Our 8th grade students served lunch to the residents at St. John's Village, a new low-income housing area created by the Ministry of Caring. Our Day of Giving raised over $35,000 in support of school initiatives that will continue to enhance the educational experience at SMM. We thanked our school and parish patrons and sponsors while we read quietly as a community of engaged learners. We prayed together and celebrated the true "thanksgiving" of the Eucharist while we recognized and celebrated our wonderful teachers. That night, we heard from our 6-8th grade students and their Science Fair research projects. And lastly, we celebrated our students, the reason for all we do! Countless parents came with supplies and smiles to make pancakes for the entire student body. Movies and popcorn rounded out a truly memorable Catholic Schools Week at SMM!