Greetings and may the Lord give you peace!
This newsletter will be the first in a series of monthly newsletter devoted to highlighting the spiritual and social aspects of community life here at Saint Andrew Catholic School!
Within these newsletters, you will learn about the Virtue of the Month, different faith events happening around campus, an update from our Counselor, Mrs. Klutz, and also an update on discipline and discipleship from our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Daley.
We also hope to include meaningful resources for you to use that will help you to continue to form your children in the faith and in the virtues.
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The Catholic school’s task is fundamentally a synthesis of culture and faith, and a synthesis of faith and life: the first is reached by integrating all the different aspects of human knowledge through the subjects taught, in the light of the Gospel; the second is the growth of the virtues characteristic of the Christian.”
(Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School 37)
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This morning, we began our day with our second Faith Family Assembly of the year! At the beginning of each month, we gather together as a school to introduce and discuss a virtue which we will focus on for the rest of the month. This program is based on the Virtues in Practice curriculum developed by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, TN. Following the assembly, students break-out into their Faith Family groups. These groups are of mixed age levels and may be with a different teacher from your child’s homeroom teacher. During Faith Families, our students will continue to grow into a family of brothers and sisters in Christ, encouraging one another in the faith and helping one another in promoting virtuous living!
This morning, we learned that a virtue as a good habit that helps us to always do the right thing. Like all other habits, the more we practice them, the easier they come to us. During the month of October we will be focusing in on the Virtue of Friendship. Friendship is such an important virtue and is one our students have the opportunity to practice every single day at school. Friendship is not just being nice to one another or playing games and hanging out with one another. Rather, it is a virtue of loving one another and seeking what is good for one another. True friends help one another to do what is right, to grow in holiness, and to help one another become saints!
We also discussed a few holy men and women who were great friends to one another. (See below)
Our students and teachers and families will all continue to practice and learn about the virtue of Friendship this month. As we continue to learn about the virtues this year, we will also continue to grow as a true Family of Faith! Please find ways this month to celebrate the virtue of Friendship in your own families of faith.
May God bless you all!
Paul Vanasse
Campus Ministries
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Saints Benedict and Scholastica
(480-54Z Italy)
Feasts: July 11, February 20
Saints Benedict and Scholastica were also very close friends and were twin brother and sister. Scholastica and Benedict loved one another very much and helped each other grow closer to God. Once when her brother was about to leave from visiting her, Scholastica wanted Benedict to stay, so she prayed to God that he could stay longer. God answered her prayer and sent a storm that was so bad, Benedict had to stay with his sister until it was over
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Saints Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen
(330-379/389, Turkey)
Feast: January 2
Saints Gregory Nazianzen and Basil the Great were two Saints who became friends in Athens at school during the 4th century AD. Gregory and Basil both helped one another grow in virtue and competed with one another in seeing who could be the most humble and virtuous. They both became bishops and helped in writing the Nicene Creed!
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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
(1901-1925, Italy)
Feast: July 4
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was a holy man who is known to have had many meaningful and holy friendships during his life. Pier would often plan hiking and climbing trips with his friends and encouraged them in the faith. He also spent much of his life helping the poor in his hometown of Turin, Italy. Pier Giorgio was beloved by many during his lifetime and was a great friend to all.
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October Faith Family Assembly
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We are excited to kick off this school year bridging our Virtues, counseling, and discipline programs here at Saint Andrew Catholic School. Discipline has often been viewed with a negative connotation; however, our Catholic faith embraces discipline as the driving force to practicing virtue in our lives and growing closer to our Lord.
The TRUTH about discipline…
Discipline derives from the Latin word “discere” meaning “to learn,” from the Latin word “disciplus” meaning “student” and later defined as “disciple of Christ.” It is through discipline that Christ teaches us virtue; this virtue reveals to us not only His truth but His goodness and His beauty.
Discipline is good for GOODNESS’ sake…
Our Catholic faith teaches us that all goodness is God’s goodness, and if God is truth, and truth is revealed in virtue through discipline, then discipline is good! With our first virtue of “charity” this past month, our mission has been to get to the “heart” of discipline by looking at behavior. As we encounter behaviors that challenge the discipline code, we are taking a step away from a punitive approach and beginning with conversations both with students and parents to determine what may be at the root of this behavior. Often schools will only look at the behavior and try to “fix it” or “punish it” and neglect getting to the heart of the issue. Most often behavior is a result of “something else” going on in the child’s life - psychologically, physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and/or academically. Our goal is to bridge communication between the school and the family to understand the situation better, thus being able to support the student in the best way possible providing accommodations and/or resources, if necessary.
The BEAUTY of discipline is in the eye of the beholder - God…
Our children are perfectly made and have God-given gifts to be discovered. It is our duty as parents and educators to embrace and affirm the goodness in our children and help them in their formative years to discover these God-given gifts. It is through teaching and instilling discipline that God not only reveals Himself but reveals in each of us our God-given potential. Discipline is beautiful as it is God’ way to provides the necessary structure and boundaries to discover God and oneself.
Moving forward with the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of Discipline…
This month with the virtue. of “friendship,” our focus will be how our discipline affects others. Does my behavior attract friends? Or does my behavior turn friends away? How is my behavior a ripple effect to the world around me?
Stay tuned while the Saint Andrew wildcats continue building a PAWS-itive attitude on Discipline!
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In Christ,
Alison Daley, M.A., M.Ed.
Saint Andrew Catholic School
Assistant Principal
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I always say less is more, actually, my dad may have said that to me first! I am sure that we have all experienced that glazed-over look that our children give us when we have gone on too long, especially our "older" children. It is hard not to stop when we have their attention, but children tend to better remember the soundbites, like "less is more". As we celebrate all aspects of the virtue of friendship this month, I offer you a few "friendship" soundbites:
- To have a friend you must be a friend-so be the friend that you want to have!
- A real friend will never encourage you to disobey your parents or authority figures!
- Choose your friends wisely!
- And lastly, for us parents, you are not your child's friend, but if you do parenting correctly you will want to be their friend when they are adults!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child. 817-924-8917 ext. 2030, aklutz@standrewsch.org
Angela Klütz
Counselor
Saint Andrew Catholic School
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The 8th Grade Gospel Reflections are a wonderful tradition at Saint Andrew! Each week, at the Wednesday school Mass, one of our 8th Grade students shares a reflection on the Gospel message which they have prepared beforehand. They also provide a challenge for us to work on throughout the week. In rising to meet these weekly challenges, we are able to bear witness to the Gospel message in our day-to-day lives! |
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An excerpt from Clara Malloy's reflection,
"Jesus tells us that when we go to heaven, all will be left behind on earth. In today's world, it is easy to get attached to material things, like our phones, and follow false idols, but is that what Jesus ask of us to do? My challenge to you this week is when ever you are doing something, ask yourself: Is this a good example of a Christian? Am I following Jesus, or the world? "
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The Saint Andrew Rosary Club led the school in a Rosary this morning in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, the memorial we celebrate today. |
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- Practice sharing your friends. Tell someone else how fun it is to play with your friend and invite them to join you.
- Are any of your friends mean to you? What do you do when they are mean to you? Practice politely telling them, "I don't like that" and "please stop".
- Each night this month, pray for your friends by name.
- Invite a friend to spend the night on Saturday and join you for Mass Sunday morning. Discuss the homily and how you can help each other to grow in holiness.
- Discuss your friendships. Do your friends help you to be yourself, or do you find that you have to act differently when your are around them?
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Saint Andrew Catholic School | 817.924.8917 | 3304 Dryden Road
www.standrewsch.org
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