June 23rd

First, a personal thank you for your incredible generosity to the teachers/staff and me. The end of year gift  is so much appreciated by us. Each day at school the teachers and I were encouraged and supported by you. It fueled us. Every teacher/staff member  appreciates being a part of this caring community.

There are two letters below copied, I wrote this first letter to our SKS Parishioners for the last church bulletin of the school year.  It summarizes my thoughts as this 2020-2021 came to an end. I wanted to share it with you.

The second letter is the Call to Worship Speech given by SKS graduate, Luca De Marco at the eighth grade graduation.  Luca’s words reflected well on the time he and his classmates spent at SKS. I  found his words so inspiring that with his, and his parents’ permission, I wanted to share it with you.

The pictures with this blog show you moments in the final home stretch that made me smile.  I hope it does the same to you.

My best wishes to all for a  happy, relaxing , and safe summer.

Take care,

Bud

 Dear SKS Parishioners,

 The end of the school comes fast and furious with a flurry of activities and a sudden end. Final exams, report cards,  kindergarten graduation, eighth grade graduation, and the final school mass and awards and more all take place.

Our Class of 2021 graduates on Tuesday evening, June 15th in church with a mass and presentation of certificates. We are proud of this class and all they have accomplished.  Academically,  several students attained academic scholarships to a total slightly under $300,000.  Our students will move on to eleven different high schools next year to continue their education. Besides academic success, they leave here well- rounded and well- grounded young women and men bolstered by the gift of their faith. We are proud of them and thankful to their parents for placing their faith and trust in SKS for in many families what has been a wonderful nine year journey with us.

No one will forget this school year of 20-21! In a year unlike no other, we took on the pandemic with great courage. We practiced our motto of having Patience, Flexibility, and Grace throughout the school year. Our SKS Teachers/Staff led the way. They were heroic in every way imaginable and were models of strength and determination to make this school year a success. From their example, our students followed their lead. We are so proud of our students.  Wear masks – no problem!  Stay distanced – okay we’ll do it.  Pack a lunch and eat in the classrooms -got it !  They were heroic too in doing all we asked. Our parents did everything we asked them to do… and more. And if there was a more appreciative group of parents in this universe that encouraged and supported our teachers /staff every single day, well I ‘d like to meet them!

Honestly, I feel some relief in that we made it a successful school year despite all the challenges the pandemic presented. It was hard. But as people of faith, we need to do hard things like Jesus did,  and we need to teach our children that we can do hard things. However, more than relieved I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment that as a school community our patience, flexibility, grace, and working together won the day (and the year) and  made this school year a successful reality. As we pray every morning: “God is good, all the time.  All the time,  God is good.” 

Thank you to our SKS parishioners for supporting your parish school. Wishing you a summer of joy and peace I remain….

Ever grateful,

Bud

Hello everybody and welcome. We are beyond thrilled to be the graduating class of 2021. The coming years will shape the rest of our lives. We will meet new people, learn new things, and mature as young adults, students, and Catholics. Some of us may never see our classmates again, and others may be friends for the rest of their lives. But right now, we share a moment of gratitude and reflection. We are grateful that such an amazing community has been brought together through an extraordinary combination of education and faith. For some of us, it has been over one hundred months since we began our academic careers here. These people – the “lifers” – have remained loyal to this community for more than eight years. Others, including myself, have not been so lucky. It took us some time to find our place at St. Katharine’s. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are here. It is June of 2021. And we get to share a moment together.

 

When talking about the highlights of our St. Katharine’s journey, one can focus on many things. Among these is the irreplaceable faith which we have learned and committed ourselves to. Throughout our journey, we have built up our faith and become stronger Catholics. A mission to serve God and serve others has been instilled in us. Honestly, that is the most important thing about St. Katharine’s. We are founded on faith. Whether it be the monthly school masses, the examples set and lessons taught in religion class, or the sacraments dozens of students receive each year, faith manifests itself here. It lives here, and in our hearts.

 

So, our faith is our centerpiece, our core. But what about all of the other components of the community? Specifically, the people who are responsible for us being here today. Our parents and teachers can be considered the most important people in our lives. Much like faith, they nurture us, guide us, and prepare us for what comes next. They help shape us as people and learners who are all unique and extraordinary in our own ways. Parents, teachers, and all staff members, thank you. You have shown us what it means to be good people, and what it takes to be successful. We cannot give you the proper thank you gift now. Our success as adults will be our final and ultimate way to say thank you.

 

As we leave St. Katharine’s, we hold our faith close and thank our parents and teachers. But we are also grateful for other gifts that we have received, like our friendships, which have shaped and defined our childhoods, and our values. We value our work ethic, our perseverance, and our ability to learn. The lessons we have learned about how to treat others, how to manage our time, and how to learn from, and not fear, failure, will lead us to our best lives. We look to the future with positivity and hope, and the confidence that St. Katharine has given us everything we need to become successful, faithful adults. We shape tomorrow by what we do today. And today, we graduate from this school. We are fortunate and grateful that the memories we have made here and the lessons we have learned are the best possible. We have been optimally nourished in body, mind, and spirit. Thank you, parents. Thank you, teachers and staff. Thank you, friends. Thank you, God. Thank you, class of 2021. And most importantly, thank you, St. Katharine of Siena School.