Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27:
It’s 2:52 PM, and the final bell has just rung, signifying the end of another school day. Students are at their lockers, putting their blazers and ties away, many of them getting ready to go home, go to practice, or another after school activity.
A few go straight to their buses. But they’re not going home: they’re boarding a Kellenberg bus to St. Martin De Porres Marianist School in Uniondale.
S.M.A.R.T., St. Martin’s After-School Recreation and Tutoring, runs five days a week after school. It gives Kellenberg students the opportunity to volunteer at St. Martin’s and run its after school program.
S.M.A.R.T. caters to St. Martin’s students in grades K-4. When Kellenberg students sign up to participate in the program, they commit to helping one afternoon a week. They assist the students through tutoring, but also many other wonderful programs, including dancing, art projects, sports and enjoyable Christian activities.
When St. Martin’s became a Marianist school in 2004, the S.M.A.R.T. program was born shortly after. Its goal was to unite the Marianist schools of Long Island and to encourage the message that the brothers instill in all their students, “To Jesus, through Mary.” The program has achieved this goal, since many St. Martin’s graduates at Kellenberg participate in this program to give back to their former school. In addition, the program has grown immensely. When it was first started, about 100 students participated, but now, it has grown to over 450 volunteers.
Even though S.M.A.R.T. is all about catering to the needs of the students at St. Martin’s, it gives Kellenberg students a new experience, and provides them with the opportunity to develop skills they didn’t know they had. They learn how to speak to these young students, and how to handle the varying emotions and personalities they might encounter. In addition to this, they must keep them entertained by providing activities that are creative, social, and educational. This may include playing sports with them, helping them on their homework, or even just conversing with them. The S.M.A.R.T. program is especially useful to students who would like to one day enter a field that works with children by helping them utilize a broader spectrum of skills.
Since the program was started, it has grown tremendously. “This is the biggest we’ve ever had in the program.” says Mr. Kennedy, a S.M.A.R.T. coordinator. On three out of the five days that the program takes place, multiple buses are required to transport all of the Kellenberg students wanting to give back. In addition, there is so much participation that on Wednesdays and Thursdays they are able to have a one on one buddy system.
When asked about her favorite part of the program, Sophomore Veronica Beckenhaupt shared, “I deeply cherish the meaningful connections I build with the kids, watching our bond grow through trust, laughter, and shared experiences.”
Veronica participates in S.M.A.R.T. on Wednesdays as well as Mondays, where she helps students strengthen their singing abilities in a Music Mentorship Program. She also shared that during Christmas time, one of her students made her a card, and that every time she enters the room on Wednesdays, all of the students run up to her because of how happy they are to see her. This is evidence of how important the program is to the students at St. Martin’s, and how much they value the companionship of the Kellenberg Volunteers.
In our Catholic beliefs, good works are just as important as faith if we strive to enter the kingdom of heaven. In addition, charity is another word for love, and it is the selfless act of giving to one’s neighbor without expecting anything in return.
The S.M.A.R.T. program is another way for Kellenberg students to express charity. The founder of the Marianists, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade said, “No doubt, faith must be animated by charity. Faith should not only be a light in the mind, but it should be in the heart as well. There must be in faith a disposition of the heart; love of truth. This is why you must savor what you believe.”
By serving our Catholic community on Long Island, these students deepen their faith in God, by treating others in the same way that Jesus would.
