Greetings and may the Lord give you peace!
The Wildcat Way is a 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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This past Thursday morning, we began our day with a Faith Family Assembly! Following the assembly, students transitioned into their Faith Family groups. These groups are of mixed age levels and may be with a different teacher from their usual homeroom teacher. During Faith Families, the students 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!
On Thursday, we were reminded that a virtue is defined 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 November we will be focusing in on the Virtue of Courtesy. This virtue is born out of a place of love and respect for the dignity of other persons. Durning the assembly, we defined the virtue of courtesy as being thoughtful of others and their needs.
We also discussed a few holy men who were known for always being courteous in their interactions with others. Venerable Solanus Casey, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Saint Martin de Porres were men who made showing courtesy to others a priority in their lives. This month we will learn about, celebrate, and emulate their courteous actions.
Our students and teachers and families will all continue to practice and learn about the virtue of Courtesy this month. This week our teachers will be attending a training with the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia who created the Virtues in Practice program! We will be learning more about the program and how to continue to promote and teach the virtues at Saint Andrew. As we continue to learn about the virtues this year, we will also continue to grow closer in holiness! Please find ways this month to celebrate and discuss the virtue of Courtesy at home in your own families of faith.
May God bless you all!
Paul Vanasse
Campus Ministries
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Venerable Solanus Casey
1870-1957
Feast: July 30
Solanus grew up here in the United States in the midwest. He was a Capuchin friar who served as the porter in his community for 20 years (a porter is the person who greets visitors at the front door). He was always ready to greet each visitor and treat them with courtesy and love.
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Saint Martin de Porres
(1579-1639, Peru)
Feast: November 3
Saint Martin de Porres was both a doctor and a Dominican friar who was very thoughtful of people who were sick. He helped them to recover from their illnesses and always did everything he could to help them feel loved and cared for.
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Venerable Pierre Toussaint
1766-1853, Haiti & United States
Feast Day: June 30
Pierre was a salve to a family who moved from Haiti to New York City in the 1700’s. While working for the family, he learned to become a masterful hairdresser in New York. He made enough money to buy his sister’s freedom. He decided to stay with the family he had worked for for so many years and took care of them through the money that he was making as a hairdresser. He eventually married and he and his wife started a home and school for orphans in the city! The helped many other slaves buy their freedom, helped the poor find work, and donated money to help assist widows and orphans.
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Talk with your students about the lives of the saints, the virtues they exemplified, and the virtues the saints struggled with in their lives. With your help, your children will continue to grow deeper in their Catholic faith and will be encouraged and formed to live virtuous lives, leading them to someday join all of the saints in heaven. |
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In our Faith Family Assembly, one student per homeroom (Kinder - 8th) was recognized with a certificate for exemplifying the September virtue of Charity - loving God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.
Congratulations to the following Wildcats and to all of our Wildcats who are living their faith everyday!
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London Albers
Logan Amelung
Evelyn Brown
Mary-Claire Bruce
Michael Collard
Payton Durham
Anna Easterling
James Endres
Peter Endres
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Ruthy Etheridge
Nathan Fulton
Wade Harkey
Michael Hogan
Emmy Mehrl
Ruby Mendoza
Adelaide Mora
Maggie Murphy
Jack Nicoletti
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Nicolas Ortega
Ella Perez
Emma Perez
Daniel Riney
Molly Riney
Aiden Shearer
Mila Taylor
Khloe Trevizo
Diana Uytingco
Evan Valadez
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In our year of Charity, this past month we have been moving into the light of truth focusing on the virtue of friendship in discipline; and what better way to come to the truth than through “Spiritual Fitness” - prayer and reflection.
Spiritual fitness is being emphasized throughout our Saint Andrew community with many opportunities, such as Faith Families, Households, Mass, and Adoration. However, when students in grades 4th-8th grade repetitively stumble in virtue whether in work habits or responsibility, the student will receive an invitation to attend a 7am detention for additional spiritual fitness.
So how is detention “Spiritual Fitness?”
Detention is a consequence but more importantly it is meant to be a time to grow in our virtue. If a team didn’t do well in a game, the consequence may be the coach requiring more drills and practice to strengthen their athletic skill. Detention is a special time dedicated to strengthening virtue.
So, what is the “Spiritual Fitness” workout?
At detention, students are given a virtue chart and the following reflection sheet:
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The following week a parent-student-teacher conference is held where the student can share their reflection response, prayer, and steps moving forward toward a more virtuous, God-filled life.
Saint Andrew Catholic School is “Paws-itively” moving forward!
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In Christ,
Alison Daley, M.A., M.Ed.
Saint Andrew Catholic School
Assistant Principal
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Courtesy is not just about being respectful to others, it is also about respecting ourselves. Being courteous demonstrates that we, and those with whom we interact, have intrinsic God given value, by virtue of being a human being. When we are courteous, we invite others to see our value along with the value in themselves and those around them.
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Being courteous is pleasing to God. “Think well. Speak well. Do well. These three things, through the mercy of God, will make a man go to Heaven.” – St. Camillus de Lellis
- Parents should model being nice to others, nice children have nice parents. This is especially meaningful if you have an opportunity to reframe frustrating or disappointing events into a more positive perspectives focused on personal growth rather than criticism.
- Teach your children that by respecting others, even in moments of frustration can help reduce their own stress and anger that may result when others disrespect them.
- And lastly, be courteous to yourself. We have all been guilty of negative self-talk, that is when we begrudge ourselves for mistakes that we have made. Negative self-talk can create anxiety and self-doubt. Teach your children to practice positive self-talk. They can do this by talking to themselves as if they were talking to someone else. They should not say things they would not say to a friend or loved one. Positive self-talk will impact their feelings and behavior regarding the world. If children think positively about themselves, they will more easily be able to be courteous to others.
Angela Klütz
Counselor
817-924-8917 x2010
aklutz@standrewsch.org
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Thanks to you, St. Andrew’s has partnered with Hallow, the #1 Catholic Prayer and Meditation App, which comes with a 3-MONTH FREE TRIAL TO HALLOW PLUS FOR OUR PARENTS AND FAMILIES.
Please take advantage of this offer to build a habit of prayer, pray together with your family, use the extensive library of prayers for families, and children of all ages, and learn more about Catholicism through guest sessions that answer FAQ about saints, traditions and more.
Sign up using the following link:
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Jaquelyn Anderson (6th grade teacher) & her husband Sean had their baby girl baptized at a school Mass. |
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Carly Endres (Montessori preschool teacher) and her husband Jeff served as Godparents. |
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Students participated in the monthly Day of Prayer and Adoration. |
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Praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory |
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Praying for deceased family members and friends. |
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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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Saint Andrew Catholic School | 817.924.8917 | 3304 Dryden Road
www.standrewsch.org
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