St. Martha, St. Mary commemorate National Catholic Schools Week

Teachers at St. Mary Academy and St. Martha Catholic School were out of their element Feb. 2 due too a change of schedule, but they weren't bothered. After all, it was for a good cause. 

Instead of their usual classes, students on the shared campus of St. Mary Academy and St. Martha Catholic School spent their day volunteering. 

Children wove dog collars for Southeastern Guide Dogs, wrote thank you letters to veterans and baked dog treats for animals and volunteered at All Faith's Food Bank. 

The day was part of the the schools' week long celebration of National Catholic School's Week, which began Jan. 29 and ends Feb. 4. 

The schools have done charity drives during Catholic School's Week in past years, but this is the first year the St. Martha and St. Mary Catholic School's Week Committee organized a full day of service. 

"It's part of our mission of the church ... We are called to serve," School Counselor and Chairwoman of the Catholic School's Week Committee Tammi Peters said. "Our Catholic School's Week committee really felt it was important to get (the students) out to serve."

The committees efforts included using six buses to transport 500 students and 80 staff throughout Sarasota to participate in service activities. 

Even though the students had participated in charitable efforts in the pass, committee members felt it was important to actively participate in the process. 

"It was really important for us for (the students) to see the other end of it," Peters said.