PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Happy New Year!

Throughout the world people celebrate the start of a new year.  For most it is the beginning of the civil year on January 1. Within the Church we celebrate the start of a new liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent.  But for everyone in education the most important first is the first day of school. Our year is consumed with teaching and learning and celebrating our accomplishments.  Each child and each class will acquire an amazing amount of learning between now and summer vacation 2020. We will have ten months filled with the excitement and challenges of learning and growing. 

But what about summer, that time outside of the school year?  I clearly remember during my many years in public education that summer vacation was sacred down time.  Everyone left in June ready for a much deserved break. The thought of stopping into the school building would not cross our minds. 

It is interesting that St. Joseph’s teachers never seem to leave.  Yes, they take well deserved vacations but they also spend a lot of time here.  Many were involved in the Summer Camp program which was again a wonderful success.  Others dropped in to say hello, check on supplies and visit their classrooms. By the last week of August the rooms were decorated, textbooks were set out and one could feel  the excitement of a new start , a new year. For so many of our teachers St. Joseph’s is not a job, it is part of who they are.  

One of the qualities that all our teachers have is the thirst for lifelong learning.  Even though all are certified teachers they always want to learn more. After school closed in June the entire faculty spent two days at St. Peter’s University participating in intense workshops dealing with curriculum, differentiation and project based learning.  Two of our teachers were invited by the prestigious Gilder-Lehrman Institute to spend a week investigating Colonial American History. One teacher went to Yale University and the second teacher went to Boston University. Again, our entire faculty bookended their vacations with sessions led by nationally recognized presenters discussing the best practices in motivating the unmotivated students and neutralizing/reversing negative behavior. Finally, I attended a three day conference held at Notre Dame University on increasing enrollment, especially from the Hispanic communities.

It promises to be an amazing year.  

We hope that you will check our website often and prayerfully join us  to see what amazing things we are doing here at St. Joseph the Carpenter.

Happy New Year!