Dear SKS Families,
The spring calendar has been filled with many social events that define our close knit community. You can see some of the events in the many photos accompanying this blog and also in our recent Spirit newsletter in the link below.
I want to express my thanks to the entire SKS community for the Last Call party a few weeks back. If you ever need to plan a party, call the Kelleys and the Agliras. For my two families: My immediate family and my SKS family it was an unforgettable moment in time and I have pictures and videos that captured the whole night. I feel humbled, grateful, and blessed many times over. The June 3rd get together sponsored by the Home and School is a chance to be with many of you who were not able to get to the Last Call. If you are tired and weary from the Bud Tosti Retirement Tour, it’s completely understandable.
On Wednesday, May 11, we celebrated the 8th Grade Parent dinner in person for the first time in three years. This tradition has been in place long before I was here, and we honor our 8th grade parents for their loyalty, support and commitment to SKS. The seventh grade parents headed up by Kristin Sims, Aimee Lynn Curry, Kate Mariniello, Anna Rockich, Meredith Johnson and many other seventh grade parents did the entire set up, served the dinner, bartended, and did the post clean up in the parish center. Next year it will be their turn to be honored. We especially honored nineteen families whose only or last child is graduating from SKS. For many it represents a nine year journey. For some such as the Barausky family, with their youngest, Mary Jane, graduating, it has been longer than nine years as MJ is the 6th Barausky to attend SKS. Then there is the Finley family. Marita and Dan have Ronan graduating this June as the 7th Finley to go through SKS, so this has been a twenty one year journey for them. Dan reminded us that when he and Marita first started as parents, our current social studies teacher and SKS alumnus, Alexandra Quigley, was in kindergarten their first year as SKS parents with their daughter Gabrielle. What a journey! Traditions like this dinner and our May Procession on last Tuesday evening where we honor Our Blessed Mother in prayer and song, strengthen our bonds in faith. To celebrate these in person events means a great deal to our school community. I also saw pictures of the Father /Daughter Dance that were incredible. The parish center’s red carpet walkway rivaled Hollywood. It was a special evening for those dads and daughters.
The end of the school year is fast approaching. I have reminded students that we want them to finish strong as we complete this journey from September. Marathon runners are always tired at the final end of their race, but somehow they find the spirit and determination to pull through and finish the race with great effort. We need to do the same. Some families can do better by being on time for school. The goal should be to be here by 8:05 at the latest. That ensures your child a chance to settle her/himself, get organized, and start the day off right. Please finish the year strong in this regard.
I always remind parents the same thing I tell the teachers: Be proactive and always set the expectation for what you want from your child. Prior to any situation, for example, you are having a new babysitter come for the first time. In a positive yet firm way say :
“I expect that your behavior tonight will be respectful, you will listen, and that you will do what is expected of you in terms of behavior and going to bed on time. Anything to the contrary will result in consequences.”
Try setting the expectations ahead of time. It’s good teaching and good parenting.
Attitude, effort, and behavior are three things we like to have students focus on all year long. This is especially the expectation as we look to close off the school year.
Take care,
Bud