All of our faculty and staff are devoting energy this week to finalizing preparations for MSW School's celebration of our school's Cultural Diversity and Catholic Schools Week, which will kick off this year on January 29th. The entire Archdiocese of Chicago joins in this annual celebration of the good work and successes of our network of schools.

 

This year as we have been preparing for Catholic Schools Week, we have decided to celebrate the cultural diversity that has become so evident in our school community. Each section of the school has been assigned a continent. Each homeroom has been assigned to learn about a specific country from that continent. Students are also being offered the opportunity to tell their classmates about their own national customs, language, foodstuffs, etc. We anticipate the students will have a greater appreciation for their own heritage in the context of the diversity they see. The teachers and students have been working hard on this project. Wait until you see how nicely that hallways have been decorated to show what the students have been learning!

 

I cannot emphasize enough how important your role is as Ambassador for MSW School. WORD OF MOUTH is our best PR tool. We look to each current parent (as well as our alum community and our alum parents) to help spread the Good News of our school and the successes our graduates have as they move on to high school, college, career and family. With 56 students graduating this year, there will be room for pre-schoolers as well as students at many other grade levels. THANK YOU for helping us keep enrollment healthy!

 

MSW is blessed to have several thousand graduates who have succeeded in a huge variety of career paths from nurse, policeman, fireman and teacher to Mayor and Medical School Dean, from carpenter and plumber to priest to prize-winning journalist. A strong academic education enriched by its religious environment and an awareness of social justice and the call to which each of us is asked to respond is instilled into the lives of each of our students and it begins at Mary, Seat of Wisdom School.

 

Social justice and school outreach are important hallmarks here at MSW. This week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King who was one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, protesting against racial discrimination in federal and state law. While known primarily for his Civil Rights work, Dr. King also fought for an end to poverty on behalf of people of all colors. He encouraged all protest to be peaceful. Some celebrate MLK Day by completing some volunteer service in honor of Dr. King. Such service need not be limited to one day. At MSW we work with our students from the time they are very young to encourage their awareness of people in need all around them. We want our students to know that they are responsible to be God's hands and arms in this world. Our families are encouraged to work together on service and outreach projects. Donating food to a food pantry, making placemats for a local PADS or Catholic Charities dinner, gathering toothbrushes, toothpaste and chapstick to be distributed at a homeless shelter, collecting gently used books for donation to WINGS, or making lunches for Uncle Pete are all opportunities that families can tackle together.  

 

This coming Lenten season there will be a wonderful opportunity for our school family to reach out to the people of Zambia again this year. Last year's very successful Lenten campaign focused on the transportation needs of the people of the Chipata Diocese. This year the focus will be on a more basic need---clean water. Mary, Seat of Wisdom will again be partnering with Father Wilfred Phiri of the Chipata Diocese. Father Gunderson will come to the school's February 22nd assembly to show slides of the bicycles received this past year and to thank our school community on behalf of the people of Zambia for the wonderful contribution to daily life that has been achieved by the distribution of bicycles. The people there are very grateful! Father Gunderson will then kick-off the new Lenten project. Parents are invited to attend the assembly and to support the parish-wide effort to raise funds for clean water.

 

Tomorrow is Inauguration Day. Our nation's new president, Donald Trump, will be sworn into office. The swearing-in ceremonies in Washington, D.C. and the transition of our nation's leadership is of historical significance. Our teachers will be discussing the events in the course of their classes and will work with the children on worksheets or writing exercises that relate to the Inauguration of President Trump.   Since classes will be held as usual tomorrow and the inauguration ceremonies will be crossing class periods, some teachers may elect to tape the speech and show it to their students on Monday.

 

As some of you may know, there have been struggles with our morning drop-off procedures. There are some days when there have been a significant number of tardy students. As you know, as students walk into classes late it can be disruptive. We ask that you please make every effort to leave a few minutes earlier so that your child(ren) arrive in their classrooms on time.

 

We have also noticed that cars arrive very early for afternoon pick-up; some arrive as much as an hour before dismissal. If you must come so early, it is requested that you not block the church and school parking lot driveways and yellow gates or any of the residential driveways of our neighbors. We must keep all driveways clear.

 

Particularly on cold winter mornings, we ask that you be patient and follow the direction of our traffic control team. The team sometimes includes some parent volunteers who receive no compensation for their time trying to assure a safe smooth entry for YOUR child. They are cold standing outside. Please be courteous to them and understand that they are working in the best interest and safety of everyone---including your child. Please thank them for their service.

 

I look forward to seeing you on January 29th!