SpeakUp! provides youth, educators, and parents the skills, opportunities and support to speak up and be heard on the critical issues of today (such as stress, depression and anxiety, body image, and healthy relationships). SpeakUp! has a unique approach of training youth leadership teams throughout the Philadelphia region. These teams learn in a series of meetings how to facilitate a customized conversation among youth, educators and parents on student-selected behavioral health topics in their school. This training culminates in a SpeakUp! forum with an opening speaker on their priority issue followed by breakout sessions each with 25-30 youth, educators, and parents talking openly about tough topics (no family members can be in the same breakout). SpeakUp! is creating a culture of communication in our schools and families where it is ok to speak up about difficult or taboo issues.
The Student Council is designed to provide leadership and service to the Saints Colman-John Neumann School community. The leadership team consists of a President, Vice President, Social Justice Chair and School Spirit Chair. In the Spring, seventh grade students campaign for the position they would like to hold the following year and an election is held. The student body, grades three through seven, vote in the election. Every eighth grade student is invited to serve on one of the student council committees. The Student Council’s faculty moderators are Ms. Kate Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Kelly Meliti.
The Social Justice Committee is led by the Social Justice Chair and the eighth grade students on that committee. Each month the Social Justice Committee helps organize an outreach program for the less fortunate. Some of the organizations we support are The Mothers’ Home in Darby; Thanksgiving food baskets for St. Francis Inn in Kensington; Christmas shopping for children through the Salvation Army in Chester; Canned Food Drive for Delaware County Food Banks through the Ancient Order of Hibernian. We also have various other activities to support the Nutritional Development Service of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Catholic Relief Services. The entire school participates generously in these programs. The Social Justice Committee’s faculty moderators are Ms. Kate Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Kelly Meliti.