This November, Oak Knoll community members embodied Holy Child founder Cornelia Connelly’s hallmark call to “Actions, Not Words,” coming together across divisions to support their neighbors in need during the Thanksgiving season.

In the Upper and Lower Schools, Oak Knoll launched its first-ever House Food Drive, inviting students, faculty, and staff to collect non-perishable items for the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry of Saint Mary Abbey Church in Newark. Donation bins filled quickly throughout the month, reflecting the community’s enthusiastic response and longstanding commitment to helping others.

That spirit continued at the school’s annual Thanksgiving Family Mass on Sunday, November 16, where families arrived with armfuls of additional food donations to support the pantry’s work during the busy holiday season.

“At Oak Knoll, service isn’t just an activity — it’s an extension of who we are,” said Michele Van Kalsbeck, Upper School Director of Campus Ministry. “Watching our Houses and families rally around the food drive was a reminder of how deeply our community cares about supporting others,” Van Kalsbeck added. “Their commitment to filling those bins reflects the school community answering the Cornelian call to service.”

Service learning also extended beyond campus. Fifth graders put their study of decomposers and composting into action at America’s Grow-A-Row in Pittstown, where they harvested 5,500 pounds of turnips — more than 22,000 servings — for local families experiencing food insecurity.

In the Lower School, our youngest learners, the Little Acorns in Pre-K and Kindergarten, embraced the season of giving with a winter coat drive, collecting mittens, gloves, hats, and jackets for children and families supported by Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Bernardsville.

“Service is at the heart of our Lower School because our children of God learn so much by living out Cornelia’s call to show love through Actions, Not Words,” said Patti Cepparulo, Lower School Religion Coordinator. “It is a joy to see them discover that even at a young age, they can bring real care to others.” 

And service at Oak Knoll doesn’t end with students. Our Parents’ Association also answered the call through its ongoing service partnership with Bridges Outreach in Summit, preparing brown-bag lunches for people experiencing homelessness. Lower School students contributed handwritten cards and illustrations, making each meal a small gesture of care from the entire Oak Knoll family.

Across campus, each project — large and small — celebrated gratitude, compassion, and community. Together, the Oak Knoll family demonstrated what Thanksgiving looks like when lived through faith, generosity, and love in action.