Written by Nicole Miller, social emotional learning coach and technology, St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic School, nmiller@stmadsophie.org
Catholic schools are uniquely positioned to help young people understand that faith is expressed through action—through the choices we make, the relationships we cultivate, and the way we respond to the needs of the world around us. At St. Madeleine Sophie School in Bellevue, Washington, this conviction shapes daily life. The school’s mission, centered in Christ, calls the community to form students who serve, lead, love, and learn with integrity and purpose.
One way this mission becomes tangible is through the intentional integration of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) across all grade levels. While CST is embedded throughout the school year in multiple ways, St. Madeleine Sophie School offers an instructive example of how a familiar Lenten practice—the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl—serves as a developmentally appropriate and deeply meaningful entry point for students from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Anchoring Formation in Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic social teaching is more than a set of principles; it is a lens through which students learn to understand the world and their responsibility within it. Jessica Patterson, the school’s principal, explains:
“At St. Madeleine Sophie School, we strive to weave a Catholic worldview into every part of the school day—from lessons in the classroom to the rhythm of daily prayer and community gatherings. Our goal is that students experience their faith as something that shapes how they live, learn, and relate to others.”
In the younger grades, students are introduced to foundational values such as empathy, kindness, and care for others. As they progress into the middle grades, the focus expands to include global awareness, moral responsibility, and what it means to live as a person of faith in a complex and interconnected world. Classroom lessons, service activities, and prayerful experiences are intentionally connected so students can see the continuity between what they learn and how they are called to live. This integrated approach reflects the Church’s broader vision of forming students not only in knowledge, but also in faith-filled action.
The CRS Rice Bowl as a Framework for Faith in Action
At St. Madeleine Sophie School, the CRS Rice Bowl provides a unifying Lenten practice that connects students to the Church’s global mission through the pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What might begin as a simple charitable collection becomes a powerful tool for formation.
Each classroom engages with CRS Rice Bowl materials, including stories of families and communities around the world who benefit from Catholic Relief Services. Students are invited to reflect on questions such as:
- How do people’s lives differ across the world?
- What does the Church teach us about responding to poverty and hunger?
- How can our small sacrifices help uphold the dignity of others?
These reflections are grounded in core CST principles, including solidarity, care for creation, the dignity of the human person, community and participation, and the option for the poor and vulnerable. Nicole Miller, who teaches a weekly Community Membership class, describes how these concepts take root even with the youngest students:
“Even our youngest learners, as early as age four, begin to understand what it means to care for our global family. Through guided discussions and hands-on experiences, we introduce the idea of solidarity, helping children recognize that we are all part of God’s family. They learn that even small acts—like placing coins in their Rice Bowls—can help families around the world.”
Students also participate in schoolwide Lenten prayer, including Stations of the Cross, classroom prayer services, and liturgical celebrations where Rice Bowls are blessed and collected. These shared rituals reinforce that their personal sacrifices are part of a greater communal response to human need.
Engaging Families as Partners in Formation
Faith formation in Catholic schools is most effective when it is shared with families. The CRS Rice Bowl program provides a meaningful opportunity to extend the school’s Lenten mission into the home.
Families receive Rice Bowls along with Lenten calendars that include prayers, reflections, and simple meal suggestions. Many families choose to adopt a weekly Lenten meal, pray together using the provided prompts, or engage in discussions sparked by the global stories. These shared practices foster intentional conversations about compassion, generosity, and the realities faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.
Angela Ensminger, who supports parish-school collaboration, highlights the strength of this home-school connection:
“Our parish and school work closely together to ensure that faith is not just taught, but lived. Programs like the CRS Rice Bowl allow students and families to put prayer, reflection, and action into practice, making Catholic social teaching tangible in everyday life.”
Through this shared experience, students come to understand that living their faith is not limited to the classroom—it is lived daily within their families and communities.
Developmentally Responsive Practice Across PK–8
Integrating the CRS Rice Bowl across all grade levels requires careful attention to students’ developmental readiness. Teachers intentionally adapt language, lessons, and activities to ensure that each child can grasp the deeper meaning of the program in age-appropriate ways.
In early childhood classrooms, students begin simply by learning that some families in the world do not have the same access to food, water, or shelter. Through stories, art, prayer, and guided discussion, children explore concepts of kindness, solidarity, and sharing.
In the intermediate grades, students begin to examine the causes of poverty and hunger and the ways communities respond with resilience. Teachers integrate mathematics by having students count and graph Rice Bowl donations, while social studies lessons connect students to the countries featured in the CRS program.
By middle school, students engage more critically with issues of justice, equity, and global interdependence. They explore structural causes of inequality and reflect on the responsibilities that come with privilege. For these students, almsgiving becomes not only an act of generosity, but a conscious response to injustice rooted in faith and moral responsibility.
Building Capacity for Christian Leadership
A defining feature of Catholic education is the formation of students as servant leaders. The Rice Bowl program offers many opportunities for leadership at St. Madeleine Sophie School. Middle school students assist with organizing collections, preparing prayer services, speaking at assemblies, and mentoring younger students about the purpose of the program.
These responsibilities cultivate confidence, compassion, and a deepened sense of stewardship. Students learn that leadership within a Catholic context is not defined by power, but by service—using one’s gifts for the good of others. These experiences contribute to the school’s broader mission of forming students who are prepared to respond thoughtfully and faithfully to the needs of the world.
A Model of Mission-Driven Practice
The experience of St. Madeleine Sophie School demonstrates how a familiar Lenten tradition can serve as a powerful framework for living Catholic social teaching in a school community. Through prayer, classroom learning, family engagement, and student leadership, the CRS Rice Bowl becomes more than a fundraiser—it becomes a formative spiritual practice.
Most importantly, it helps students understand that faith is not only something they believe, but something they live. By nurturing hearts oriented toward solidarity, justice, and compassion, St. Madeleine Sophie School forms young people who are prepared to carry Christ’s love into the world—one small act of service at a time.
