Eighth grader’s fundraiser combined her love for science and giving back
Newswire photo by Brittany Wells | Serenity Pastor (left), an eighth grader at Xavier’s Montessori Lab School, organized Slime Fridays to raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital. Pastor was helped by lab school students and staff but she did most of the work.
With the help of Xavier’s Montessori Lab School’s, eighth grader Serenity Pastor arranged charitable “Slime Fridays” and raised $577 for St. Jude’s Hospital.
For a $10 donation, lab school students were given materials and assistance to make their own slime. Pastor presented and organized the gooey initiative while the lab school’s after-school program provided supplies. Slime Fridays were attended by students of all ages, and even parents got in on the fun.
Middle school teacher and Montessori professor Tori Pinciotti explained how Pastor’s program fit into Montessori schooling.
“Our whole job as educators is to push students towards their passions and help them create a better world involving their passions,” Pinciotti said. “At the adolescent level, it really looks like student led projects.”
Pastor shared that her idea for charitable slime came from her interest in science and desire to help others. She incorporated topics being covered in class, like compounds and chemical reactions, to find the best slime making method.
Classmates and lab school staff readily supported Pastor’s idea, not only providing materials but also volunteering after school in to bring the project to life.
Pastor was surprised to be receiving so much support but later realized that the collaboration was necessary for the program to succeed.
While Pastor embraced the support, she still took the program into her own hands by initiating the setup, clean up, communication with the community and execution of the program each Friday.
The Head of the lab school, Rosemary Quaranta, saw Slime Fridays as an example of the Montessori mission.
“I think what we do is we empower children to see that they can make a difference, and that is exactly what happened in this case,” Quaranta said. “What we saw was a 13-year-old who changed the world a little bit, and that’s what we believe is the power of children.”
Pastor believes that by participating in Slime Fridays, students who are gaga for goop could harness creativity and build character.
Students including 6-year-old Helpful Braun enjoyed being creative while spending time with her friends, and 8-year-old Sanah Badran was elated when she realized that, through this activity, she was able to help make the patients at St. Jude’s lives a little easier.
Beyond Montessori values, Quaranta also believes that the program wholly encompassed Ignatian values.
“We believe that we are not here just to serve ourselves. Being of service to others is a piece of who we need to be,” she said.
By: Alana Harvey | Staff Writer