Dividends for Life

This week we join with Catholic schools across the country as we celebrate our very existence.  The theme this year "Dividends for Life", reminds us that there is no better investment than the education of a child.  In our setting, however we take this one step further and make Jesus Christ the focal point of our program.  If you look at the logo for Catholic Schools Week, the word "Faith" appears first.

Catholic Schools Week is the traditional kick-off to our registration and recruiting efforts for the next academic year.  During this time, we host a variety of events designed to bring new students into our school.  Students, after all are the lifeblood that keeps our doors open.  We invite a variety of people into our building and talk about our program with great pride.  It truly is an exciting week.  During these days, we have tours for prospective families and hold events such as the Kindergarten Information Night.  However, when hosting these events, I am very careful to not compare our tests scores with any other school in town, or claim to be any better than other schools.  That is certainly not the point.

You see, we are a Catholic school, not a private school.  There is a very big distinction in this statement!

This week, I posted our annual ITBS test results.  As has become the norm, our scores are fabulous.  Sometimes people will ask me why I don't make a bigger deal out of this.  Why don't I compare our test scores with those of our neighbors?  Certainly I could do this, but that would be missing the boat.  The results of a standardized test given on a certain day are not why I want you to pick St. Joseph Catholic School as the school of choice for your family.

Our school building is over sixty years old.  Please don't select St. Joseph Catholic School because of our shiny new building, because it is not. I am six years into my tenure at St. Joseph Catholic School, and in that time our Neighbors to the North have managed to open brand spanking new buildings almost every year I have been here.  I can't keep up with that, and am really not interested in trying.  Our building has been well maintained and is holding up very nice.  Sure, we have some drafty areas  and could use some upgrades here and there, but in all it works quite nicely!

I also don't have a dance team, soccer, show choir, or even a swimming pool to offer your children.  We are focused on the basics and have, what I would consider a pretty good choice of program offerings.  But, even so don't select St. Joseph Catholic School because of the smorgasbord of activities that I can promise, because we don't have that either.

What can I offer you?  I can promise you that your child will be exposed to a rich education that is rooted in the Catholic faith and presents the church teachings with purity.  Your child will have a teacher that knows him or her, and will work with you as a partner in their development.  We will work hard every single day and give our very best effort.  When you send your children here, you can be assured that they are treated as though they are our own children, and you will be invited to the table often and be expected to take an active role in our school.  We will keep your kids safe, and when they fall we will use that as an opportunity to teach them how to pick themselves back up again.

When your children leave here they will be equipped with a knowledge base that has immersed them in the faith, and they will be able to stand on their own two feet.  It is our hope and desire that they will become the leaders of tomorrow's church.  They will be our priests, sisters, brothers, and lay ministers of our Roman Catholic Church.

That's it.  Nothing fancy, shiny, or new.  No bells, no whistles.  Just a Catholic education.

Oh, and when your Judgement Day comes and God asks "What did you do for your children?", you can smile and say "A Catholic education that paid.....Dividends for Life."

Happy Catholic Schools Week!