Thirty eighth-graders from Cathedral School in Northwest Portland will graduate on Wednesday, June 15, 7 p.m. at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Many students in the graduating class have been at Cathedral for more than nine years, beginning their journey in kindergarten. The students will be attending Central Catholic, Jesuit, St. Mary’s Academy, Lincoln and Grant high schools next fall.

During their eighth grade year, students have led many school-wide faith-in-action service projects.

In October, eighth-graders led a baby bottle coin drive, collecting $4,315 for the Mother & Child Education Center. The students presented the service project to the school and encouraged other students to dig into their piggy banks and donate.

In December, eighth-graders supported the Blanchet House of Hospitality by making more 100 winter care kits containing essential relief items for people without homes.

Finally, in May, the students hosted a dodgeball tournament for Cathedral middle-schoolers. Students donated to play. Eighth-graders ran a concessions stand, created the teams, built tournament brackets, and designed posters.

The tournament raised $1,116 that was donated to the Humane Society.

In addition to the many service projects, one of the most cherished Cathedral School traditions is the buddy program. All students are paired with a friend from another grade. The eighth-graders are paired with the kindergarten students. They sit together at Mass, put on a school Mass together, read in the classroom together, team up for other classroom activities, and will be attending a field trip at the zoo together at the end of the school year.