Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.

It’s Catholic Schools Week – an annual celebration of the ministry and vision for education embodied by Catholic schools across the country. It’s a great time to reflect on what makes the Catholic education experience special, and I think this year’s theme is particularly apt: “Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” Research has shown that graduates of Catholic schools are more civically engaged, more tolerant of diverse views, and more committed to service as adults (Campbell, 2001). This is the promise of a Catholic school education, that a student’s knowledge and power are informed by her compassion and sense of social justice.

This week during morning assembly and prayer, I was touched to hear our students’ intentions – their prayers for those impacted by the government shutdown who need help paying for rent or food or who need shelter during our recent cold spell. They also prayed for their family members, themselves, and each other. Their thoughtfulness is in stark contrast to daily news, which is so often consumed with negativity and divisive messages. The prayers of these young girls are a reminder that we are all one community, and we are here to support one another. Our students recognize how God works in our lives and calls on us to serve the greater good.

So how do we teach our students to be individuals who care about others, to be better citizens? How do we instill in them the belief that the things they do make a difference? There is, of course, our religion classes where students learn about Catholic moral and social justice teachings. Daily prayer and communion with God and one another, help our students find comfort and strength. We also provide opportunities for teamwork, leadership, and other social skills development through community-building, enrichment activities, and service learning activities. But I think, what really brings theory and practice together, what drives home the value of good citizenship, what truly instills compassion, empathy, and respect for all life in our students and affirms their growth and learning every day is the real-life example of what it means to be a good person in our teachers, staff, and volunteers.

Being a role model, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be the best or the brightest. You can be a role model by simply doing one thing: caring. Our students know that their teachers care for them; they understand that every adult at WSG supports them both as learners and as individuals with unique talents and dreams for the future. Our teachers and staff are polite to their students and each other, they do the “little things” without being asked like cleaning up and holding the door open, they are part of a team, they support their colleagues, they keep their word and hold themselves accountable, and they recognize that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Their beliefs align with their actions, even when no one is looking. They lead from the heart because they care about their students, their work, and their community.

Life can be messy and complicated. As a Catholic school, we want our students to know that God is always beside them to help them as they learn, serve, lead, and succeed in life. Our students learn the importance of morality and a strong spiritual life through daily prayer and faith-building activities, and they learn how to live those values through the words and actions of the adults around them. We strive to show our students that they are loved, and we empower to share their love with the world. That is the true value of a Catholic education.

The Gifts of Giving

Happy 2019! Yes, I know it’s already mid-January, but I’m still getting used to writing the date with a 9 instead of an 8 and to the fact that it’s already mid-January. The end of the year is always a little hectic as everyone prepares for the holidays and makes a last-minute push to wrap-up projects and finalize plans for the new year. And so, it seems inevitable that I’ve fallen behind on this blog – my apologies. I hope you’ll indulge me as I rewind a bit to get my bearings on an eventful, but now past 2018 and an exciting 2019, brimming with possibilities.

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One of the many things that kept me busy in November and December was our year-end fundraising. As you probably know, WSG is a donor-funded school; all of our students receive full scholarships thanks to the generosity and support of community members, foundations, and other charitable organizations. The end of the year is when we receive most of our donations, and when I have an opportunity to connect with many of our supporters to thank them and tell them how much their gift means to our students, our staff, and our community. As I made phone calls and wrote cards to the many people who make our school possible, I was struck by how the spirit of giving permeates our school, and not just during the holiday season. All year long, we receive and we give back, creating a cycle of giving – generosity begetting generosity.

WSG’s donors and volunteers offer funding and support to ensure that we, in turn, can provide wages to our staff and educational programming and services to our students and families. The generosity of our supporters not only provide the resources to operate every aspect of the school, but also inspire our faculty and staff to give more time and more of themselves to our students. They stay late to attend school events and support their students, volunteer to run extracurricular activities, offer extra tutoring, organize fun student activities outside of the school day, and teach our students through word and deed the value and importance of giving fully of oneself. And continuing this spirit of giving, our students and families volunteer for service in their community, collect food and supplies for charity, and even give back to WSG with their time and efforts.

By modeling and teaching generosity, we instill in our students that kindness and love grow when we share what we have with others. We are committed to the development of our students into well-rounded, competent, and compassionate young women who will make their communities and the world better through their talents, leadership, and goodness. We hope to inspire them to do more for their families and communities as they mature into courageous women, teachers, mothers, and leaders. Through their growth, we know that the cycle endures and that the gifts of giving will continue to multiply.

Our Students

No. 1 Our Students

I’ve always loved school, and I believe a life spent learning is a life well spent. But when I was in elementary school, I was a shy and quiet student who tried to go unnoticed in the classroom. Fortunately, my school environment was extremely supportive, and my teachers encouraged me and helped me to gain confidence in myself. As a student at an all-girls high school, I began to recognize the importance of my early learning experience in helping me find my voice and understand who I was as a young woman on the verge of adulthood. This understanding allowed me to thrive and to meet the high standards and expectations held by my teachers and parents.

Having earned several advanced degrees and having built a career in education, I am definitely a lifelong learner. Moreover, I enjoy being with students who are on their own educational journey. When I am with our students, I am reminded of myself as a young girl: unsure at times, trying to fit in, yet learning to shine with encouragement and support from the adults around me. That is why, my number one joy the past school year has been spending time with our students.

I love visiting our classrooms and seeing our students and teachers in action. It gives me a chance to experience the amazing work of our program firsthand, and to see our students’ come alive as they explore literature, the arts, history, and science. I enjoy watching students learn new skills using technological tools and expand their minds with each lesson learned. Going on field trips and experiencing the world outside of the classroom with students, I share in their excitement and delight in the spark of curiosity I see in their eyes. Even when I am helping students learn from their mistakes (because we all make mistakes), I am grateful for the opportunity to help them rebound and navigate forward as the teachers and mentors in my life did for me.

Seeing our students grow and developing a relationship with them gives meaning and value to the work I do as President of the school. As a self-professed bookworm, I especially enjoy connecting with students over books they enjoy reading now. This year, I joined our middle school students in reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which was recommended by my own teenaged daughter. I was able to engage students in discussions on why the book resonates so deeply with them and how it mirrors their own feelings and perspectives on the world. Through their eyes I learned what it means to be a young woman in today’s society. And I learned what it means to be a leader to this bright, eager, and bold generation of women.