Season’s Greetings,
We’ve been busily covering Christmas themed readings and writings in LA and Literature. Seventh Grade is reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The main emphasis of reading it has been placed on viewing the events through the lens of Victorian London where poverty, disease, and injustice ran rampant, and how Charles Dickens used this novel as an instrument in calling the attention of the people of that time. The messages are just as, if not more meaningful today. Eighth Grade has been watching the film Miracle on 34th Street, and they will construct a persuasive essay in which they must prove that Kris Kringle is in fact Santa Claus by using evidence from the film.
As our calendar year draws to close, there is still much to do as I indicated in the last newsletter. In addition to that, Seventh Graders are nearing the end of in-class History Fair work. The final part will be completed in class over the next few days. Please submit your $5.00 for the display board if you have not yet done so. I will be sending those home next week, and again, students may work on them over break if they wish. There will be samples of boards from previous years posted on Classroom next week. Also, Springfield forms and money need to be in as soon as possible for Eighth Grade students.
Thank you to all of those who attended the Christmas performance on Thursday night. Those students who participated displayed good character, and their efforts are greatly appreciated. Mrs. Prosen worked very hard in directing the performance, and while she was busy thanking everybody else, not enough can be said for Mrs. Schaefer and how she pulled everyone and everything together.
Please consider joining us for our traditional Eighth Grade/Kindergarten Mass next Friday, our last day of school for 2023. In my first year at St. Cletus, our current Eighth Graders were the Kindergarteners at that mass. It’s a joy to see that group participate in the event as Eighth Graders.
Speaking of A Christmas Carol, I feel like I’ve been visited by Ghosts of St. Cletus past over the past few weeks. I’ve encountered recent graduates who are working with our maintenance staff over break from college, helping out with aftercare, and volunteering at the Giving Tree event. It’s been nice to see all of them, and it’s a clear sign to all of us associated with our school that what we do here works. It’s still home to our graduates and their families, and they did not forget the lessons of service that they learned here as students. I couldn’t be prouder of them.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and I wish you a happy and healthy 2024!
‘For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself‘ – A Christmas Carol