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Oak Knoll Renames Annual Day of Service to Honor the Legacy of Sister Eileen McDevitt, SHCJ
Christopher Starr

Oak Knoll School recently celebrated its annual Service Day, but this time with a new name as we honor Sister Eileen McDevitt, SHCJ, as she retires at the end of this school year as Executive Director of the Holy Child Network of Schools. Service Day, renamed this year the Sister Eileen McDevitt Day of Service, took place on Thursday, October 24. The day, rooted in the spirit of community service, included simultaneous service field trips for all Upper School grades in the morning, followed by a Lower School activity in the afternoon. 

Originally established by Oak Knoll students in 2001 in response to the 9/11 tragedy, this tradition continues to embody Holy Child Founder Cornelia Connelly’s motto, “Actions, not words.”

“The students’ decision to respond to that terrible day by taking action to make the world a better place is a clear reflection of how Holy Child principles come to life at Oak Knoll,” said Oak Knoll Head of School Jennifer G. Landis. “The program has grown and continues to thrive as an expression of action for our PK-12 community. It is fitting that we would honor Sr. Eileen and her dedication to ‘Action, not Words’ and the Goals and Criteria by naming Service Day in her honor.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The Oak Knoll community gathered on Wednesday, October 23, outside Bonaventura Hall for a surprise naming ceremony and to give Sister Eileen a standing ovation.

And with that, our 23-year-old community service tradition was reborn. To mark the first Sister Eileen McDevitt Day of service, grade seven traveled to the Community Food Bank of NJ to package 1360 pounds of pasta, grade eight to Reeves-Reed Arboretum to clear land for cultivation, grade nine to the Linden Housing Authority to interact with the elderly residents, Grade 10 to America’s Grow a Row to pick 10,000 pounds of potatoes which will feed 41,000 people, Grade 11 to Mercy House for a plethora of general cleaning jobs and sorting of donations and Grade 12 to Sacred Heart School where they assisted in making Halloween decorations for the school and Christmas ornaments for the parish/school giving tree.

Later in the afternoon, the Lower School students made gift bags with donations from their families that will go to the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

It is fitting that Oak Knoll enters our second century as a school with the newly renamed Sister Eileen McDevitt Day of Service as Holy Child Goal 1 states, “Holy Child Schools foster a faith commitment that leads to a joyous personal relationship with God in addressing the realities of the world.” May we spend the next 100 years in Sister Eileen’s honor, meeting the wants of the age.

 

 

 

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