February 13, 2018
Dear St. Katharine of Siena School Families,
Post Catholic Schools Week
The pictures in this week’s blog are from Catholic Schools Week and tell a story. Our school is a happy place. We learn in an engaging way. Besides academics, we learn about things such as service, compassion, and empathy. As educators, we care for our students and nurture them in partnership with you. We are firm with them in holding high, reasonable expectations and teaching them responsibility and accountability. Thank you for believing in us and supporting us. As principal, I was proud of the many activities during Catholic Schools Week that celebrate the positive culture of our school community. Some of the added activities this year were favorites of mine: STEM Day, our 8th grade hosting the 8th grade of St. Martin de Porres, and our 7th grade hosting the students from St. Katherine’s Day School in Wynnewood. The Opening Mass and School Prayer Service reflected our strong Catholic indentity as a parish school. The Student /Faculty Basketball Game, Trivia Contest, Spelling Bee, and Minute to Win It contests all provided excitement during the week.
Post Super Bowl Thoughts
Who can deny that what the Eagles did was historic for Philadelphia? As I reflect, it’s not just what they did, but how they did it. As a coach, I firmly believe that there are certain lessons in outside activities such as sports, the arts, scouts, and any activity involving team play that cannot be duplicated in the classroom or at home. The Eagles team displayed qualities that were exemplary.
Here are a few lessons they taught us that I think are worth sharing with your children:
*One person doesn’t make a team. The leadership from the top down never made excuses when Wentz (or the five other injured players) went down. Next man up and let’s do this!
*Despite all the critics, the fifty-three players in that locker room believed in themselves. They had faith and trust in each other regardless of the situation.
*Have a focus, preparedness and awareness of the present. The past is in the past; the future cannot be controlled. Control and focus on what you can, which is living in the moment. The Eagles did just that.
*Failure is a part of life, so life is about being resilient and persevering past your failures. Many of you probably heard Nick Fole’s post-game press conference about this. Could anyone have said it any better? We showed his video to the students last week. It’s worth showing again to your children.
*Humbleness, humility, and gratitude: the Eagles were selfless; not selfish. No one person was more important to the team. The sum total was greater than the individual parts. Players sacrificed their own personal achievements for the greater good of the team. In Nick Fole’s post-game press conference he thanked his parents for all the sacrifices they made for him. He was grateful to all those who helped him along the way. He remembered where he came from, and who helped shape him.
*Their display of their faith: from Pederson, Wentz, Foles, to the post game praying of the Our Father after the game, so many players were proud to show their faith and give thanks to God. They have been excellent role models in this regard.
SURVEYS
As a parish school community we learn and grow from feedback. Please help us grow with your input.
There are three short surveys that I am asking you to fill out.
The first one is for the school and can be found at Tuition and Fundraising Survey
Thank you to those who already read and answered the Tuition/ Fundraising Letter and Survey. We will gather your responses and feedback and share results with you. Here it is the cover letter for those who want to read it again.
The second one is the Continuous Improvement School Survey (CIP). This CIP is feedback on our school in every facet. This was sent to all families in a separate email on February 5th.
The third survey is for members of the St. Katharine of Siena Parish and can be found at www.disciplemakerindex
Each of these surveys will give us important feedback so that we can grow as a parish.
Take care,
Bud