For a second year, Good Shepherd Catholic School students and families collected non-perishable food items for the Patrician Society in Norristown (“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” since 1981), which has a year-round Emergency Food Cupboard. GSC’s two-week Thanksgiving Food Drive brought in almost 400 pounds – or two-and-a-half pounds per enrolled student – of canned soup, corn, green beans and baked beans; boxed stuffing and mac and cheese mixes and various varieties of pasta and rice; jars of gravy, apple sauce and peanut butter; and more!

The drive’s organizer, GSC preschool teacher Mrs. Kim Franzone, along with a couple of parents and seven students, delivered the school’s donations to the food cupboard on the Monday before Thanksgiving. They took a tour of the facility to learn more about the impact of donating to those who need food assistance for different reasons.

Prior to the delivery to Norristown, back in Ardsley, GSC’s preschool students worked with their fourth and fifth grade buddies to sort and box up the many food items.

​The Patrician Society is online at https://www.patriciansociety.org/.

Our student and graduate success stories are music to our ears, and so we were thrilled to hear that five of our current student musicians will be playing in the 2020 Archdiocesan Honor and Festival Bands! And two of our students have sung their way into the Festival Chorus!

The Honor Band (6th to 8th graders) will perform at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield (Delaware County) on Friday night, February 7, 2020, and again at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, April 21. The Festival Band Concert (mostly 4th and 5th graders) is on Sunday afternoon, March 8, at Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford. The Festival Chorus Concert takes place at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster on Wednesday night, April 1.

In the meantime, GSC’s music teacher, Mr. Mark Urmson, reports that five students will be auditioning for the Archdiocesan Honor Chorus (grades 7-8) on Sunday, December 1. The Honor Chorus performs at the Wood and Kimmel concerts.

Congratulations and good luck, everyone! You make us #GSCProud!

For more information about the Archdiocesan Elementary Music Festivals, click here.

GSC's librarian, Mrs. Terri Griffith, secretary, Mrs. Mary Louise Muszynski, and all-around school assistant, Sister Maryanne Winterberg, want you to know that GSC has a collection bin for Kevin's Koats in the main lobby of the school. You can donate new and gently-worn Winter coats, scarves, hats, gloves and mittens for men, women and children through the first full week of November. For more information about this Student Council initiative to assist a local charitable foundation, visit kevinfromheaven.org.