and staff were members of a larger world family. Because of this, the school encouraged everyone to participate in service to the community. The following summarized opportunities available to students and staff to give back to the world that fed them. Every student completed at least 25 hours of community service. Service could include documented hours inside or outside the school setting, such as working at a homeless shelter, or helping to host an alumnae event at the school. The requirement helped students practice helping others, including those in their immediate community. Food Drive: Throughout the year, students and staff participated in a food drive for the hungry by bringing prepackaged food to the school for collection. Food was then delivered to a variety of food pantries and shelters, including the nearby homeless shelter, The Dwelling Place, at 39th Street and 10th Avenue, and The Little Sisters of Assumption Family Center in East Harlem. Toy Drive: Each year in December, students and staff collected toys to distribute to needy families as Christmas presents for children. Students voted on the recipient agency. Last year, the toys were given to Target Stores for distribution. College Fair: Each year, St. Michael Academy hosted a Catholic college fair at the school as a gift to the community. Admission was free, and students from Catholic schools across the city attended to learn about Catholic colleges across the country. This was the only college fair in the region that focused on Catholic higher education. Athletics St. Michael Academy fielded teams in basketball, volleyball, softball and track. The Varsity Basketball Team won the state championship in its division in 2009; this year, it was ranked in the top 20 nationally. Admissions and tuition To be admitted to St. Michael Academy, you had to score at least 80 percent on the TACHS test or on a comparable exam administered by the school. Tuition for the 2009-2010 school year was $6,000. Scholarship and financial aid Sixty-percent of St. Michael Academy students received scholarships and financial aid. Support came from a variety of sources, including the Be a Student’s Friend Program, the Cardinal’s Scholarship Program, the Endowment for Inner City Education, Friends of Nick, Student Sponsor Partners, the Michael Gordon Foundation, Italian American Scholarship Program, and Child Inc. The school also received scholarship support from individual donors contributing directly to the school, allowing a full menu of options for students.