Justice Day at Sacred Heart School

By: Bob Remer

On January 24, 2014, students and faculty took the day off from their daily routine to spend the day learning about issues of peace and justice. This year, the organizing theme was the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which Martin Luther King, Jr. recast into his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The school asked the students to consider the question, “who is my neighbor?” and imagine how they can reach out and get to know their neighbors. Grades did projects to get to know the surrounding neighbors (with visits to the Public Library, Howard Area Community Center and Misericordia; visits with firemen and policemen; interviews of local neighbors; research on landmarks in the surrounding area; and the creation of peace cards to share with our neighbors).

Some of the unique opportunities Sacred Heart children had this Justice Day, Friday, January 24, 2014, included Harry Osterman, Alderman of the 48th ward, speaking at the Opening Assembly in the Gym and Bob Remer president of the Edgewater Historical Society, speaking with the 6th Grade in the Gym.

Bob brought a big map of Edgewater and, with Alderman Osterman, engaged the students in a lively discussion about just what are neighborhoods and sharing Edgewater’s long history and tradition of diversity, activism, volunteerism, and helping neighbors through block clubs, churches and the schools. Bob said, “our final advice was that volunteerism and service helps themselves as much as it does the community. They were a great group of interested students and we invited them to take advantage of the EHS museum and website for their studies.”