Community service is an integral part of a Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart education. Goal III of all Sacred Heart schools seeks to educate to a social awareness that impels action. With this in mind, Woodlands Academy held the second of its two 2024-25 Service Days on Feb. 27. Sophomores and seniors from the all-girls college-preparatory day-and-boarding high school in Lake Forest lent a helping hand to some area service organizations. At the same time, freshmen and juniors participated in retreat activities.

The day began at Woodlands Academy, where students did service projects for some local organizations.

Members of the sophomore class then spent the rest of the morning helping to sort books at Bernie’s Book Bank. This Lake Bluff-based organization sources, processes and distributes free quality children’s books throughout Chicagoland to empower children to explore new ideas, gain knowledge and strengthen reading skills. During the afternoon, Woodlands Academy sophomores helped out in Waukegan at Keeping Families Covered. This nonprofit organization, with offices in Lake and McHenry counties, provides diapers and other basic needs to individuals and families, believing that clean diapers are a basic need of every baby and toddler.

Woodlands’ seniors began their day of community service at Cradles to Crayons in Chicago, an organization that provides children from birth through age 12 who live in homeless or low-income situations with items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play. These items are supplied free of charge. Woodlands Academy’s senior class members then spent their afternoon helping out at Sunrise of Highland Park, which provides assisted living, memory care and hospice care services.

“We do this twice each school year with the hope that the girls gain a greater understanding of themselves and see the difference they can make in the lives of others,” said Erin Brysiewicz, Woodlands Academy’s service coordinator. “I’m so very proud of our sophomores and seniors who did truly awesome work during this year’s final Service Day.”

Meanwhile, Woodlands’ freshmen took part in a day-long retreat, “The Fire of God's Love: A Retreat with Sophie,” at the campus’ Gloria Dei Center. Using points from the life of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart, participants explored their own journeys – past, present and future – as well as their relationships with self, God, others and creation. Students received a journal/map with "spaces" that they filled in as they experienced the movements of the retreat.

Junior class retreat activities occurred at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat Center in Barrington. During this extended three-day, two-night Kairos retreat, participants were invited to leave their busy, everyday schedules behind and enter a special time to rest, build community, pray and reflect on their relationships with themselves, others and God. Kairos is a Greek word for time that means the right or opportune moment. For this particular retreat, Kairos meant God’s time.

The school's service program requires freshmen to perform 10 hours of service during their first year at Woodlands. Sophomores, juniors and seniors must do 20 hours of service per year. In addition, students annually complete a written reflection for each of their service sites. Many Woodlands Academy students become passionate about service and far exceed the required minimum of 70 hours.

[Pictured are sophomore class members at Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Bluff.]