Greetings,
Catholic Schools Week is almost underway! When I was growing up, sometimes my family and I would attend events at the parish that my parents belonged to when they were young. In the parish hall, there was a collection of graduation pictures. I enjoyed finding the pictures of my parents, my aunts, and my uncles from when they were in eighth grade. The one that I enjoyed finding the most though was of my grandpa and his class, which I believe was the class of 1930. At that time, I just thought it was neat to see an image of him that young, and then look over and see him much much older. As an adult, I have a greater appreciation for that photo because it stresses how important faith and community were to his immigrant parents. Also, that would be the highest level of education that he would receive. He didn’t finish high school because he had to work to help support his parents who were caring for his sister who was paralyzed from polio. His limited education may have prevented him from more lucrative work, but it was his Catholic education – and the gift of faith that he learned from his parents – that led him to serve his parish and his family for the rest of his life. Remember that you as parents are the first and most important teachers to your children in all matters, but especially faith. Hopefully, we teachers at St. Cletus have been able to help in enhancing your teachings and put your children on the path to a faith-filled future.
These are even busier than usual times for us. Eighth Graders will be attending their Confirmation retreat this Saturday. It begins at 1:00 p.m. and concludes with 5:00 p.m. mass (parents should attend mass with child). Our Catholic Schools Week Open House will be taking place on Sunday beginning with 10:30 a.m. mass and going on until 2:30 p.m. Thanks to our NJHS students who will be serving as guides and helpers that day. Judging for History Fair will be taking place early next week too. Then we have all of our Catholic Schools Week events concluding with the Red and White Game next Friday.
In LA/LIT, Eighth Grade students are completing a project on the novel The Call of the Wild by Jack London, and Seventh Grade students are working on a character analysis based on the film The Jungle Book as part of our thematic unit on the author Rudyard Kipling. In Social Studies, Eighth Grade students are covering the Gettysburg Address and will be nearing the end of the Civil War. Seventh Grade students have been covering the Civil Rights movement, and we will begin learning about the US Constitution very soon.
***Mark your calendars Eighth Grade parents, Living Stations is currently scheduled to take place on February 29th at 2:00 p.m.***
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” – St. Francis de Sales