School's Out For Summer!

 These will be the words I will be singing down the hall on Friday.  While it's been a great school year in many ways, I will not be sad to see it end.  I am, however, excited about the prospect of a fabulous 2024-25 school year.  

This week the best advice I can give you is to watch every move they make and don't blink.  As we get closer to Friday, really don't blink.  

Teachers, please be sure to communicate with us this week about students who need any type of summer remediation.  We want to be sure there is an appropriate comment, and not "promoted."  

This week we will have fewer students on campus since PK and 8th graders will not be back this week.  They are invited to join us on Friday at noon for the end-of-year celebration, so you may see them that day.  Monday - Wednesday will be typical days.  Thursday is the Talent Show in the afternoon in the FLC.  Please be sure students start taking things home on Wednesday and use Thursday morning to have the students clean the desks, chairs, and lockers (better they do it than you).  Be sure all sticky stuff is off the desks, walls, and floors.  I will need some help in the music room with packing up and cleaning.  If you need anything, talk to Ken.  

I suggest you not pass out yearbooks until your room is clean.  It gives them an incentive to get it all done.  On Friday, dismissal will begin at 11:30 and it is classroom pickup.  Anyone left at 12:15 may be sent to the office.  

Have a wonderful week and please stop by the FLC on Friday after school to pick up a burger and say goodbye to families.  Thank you!

Holy Moments

 Good morning, Happy Cinco de Mayo, and congratulations to our 2nd graders who have completed the second step in their journey towards full initiation into the Catholic faith.  Our students all looked beautiful and handsome and glowed with anticipation for what they were about to receive.  Thank you Galy and Sammee for guiding them on this journey to this unforgettable moment in their lives.

This morning as I was cleaning, I picked up a book that Prince has been reading called Holy Moments by Matthew Kelly.  As I was skimming through it I discovered something called "Spiritual Multiplication" so I dug deeper and thought what a great concept to apply to kindness. 

This is what the author is saying in his book.  Some moments are holy and some are unholy.  It is our choices that can guide the moment in either direction. By collaborating with God, we can create Holy Moments.   The author says, "A Holy Moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God.  You make yourself available to Him.  You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do."  Think of the Good Samaritan. He created a Holy Moment by his choice to help a stranger.  Holy Moments make us happy and there is science to prove it.  Think about what brings you more joy, watching the excitement in someone's face as they open a gift you gave them, or receiving a gift.  For me, it is always the giving that brings me joy.  Holy Moments are an act of generosity and science shows that generosity releases three hormones that bring us joy - serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin - and I'm sure we all want joy in our lives.  

The book goes on to explain Spiritual Multiplication as the sharing of the concept of Holy Moments with others but I can see how this concept can also be applied to sharing kindness.  The author tells a story about an Abbot and a Hermit and in the story, the Hermit says, "A still pond reflects the sun perfectly.  God is the sun.  You are the lake.  When your soul is still and clear you reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of God to everyone you encounter."  Apply this to Spiritual Multiplication (also a great way to incorporate faith into math).  

• Share a Holy Moment with three people through acts of kindness and when they say thank you, ask them to do the same to three more people giving the same directions: 1 + (1 x 3 = 3) = 4
• Three new people are now sharing Holy Moments and giving the same directions to three others: 4 + (3 x 3 = 9) = 13
• And those 9 new people teach three more: 13 + (9 x 3 = 27) = 40
• And so it goes...  40 + (27 x 3 = 81) = 121

Ask the students to see how many steps it will take to reach 1 million people.  It may not be realistic, but it truly is a great challenge.  By collaborating with God we can make change.  

There was one other thought in the book that is a great concept to remind students.  In the story of the Abbot and Hermit, there was strife among the monks and the wisdom of the Hermit was to remind them that the Messiah is among them.  Not sure who it was among them, they started treating everyone with kindness.  The Hermit did not mean that the Messiah was back on earth in human form, but reminds us that God lives within each one of us.  How we treat others is how we treat Christ.  I think this is a good reminder for students that their actions not only bring joy or hurt to others but also to Jesus.  

Now that you have listened to my sermon for the day, here's the action taking place this week.  First, Happy Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week!  Thank you all for everything you do for the school and our students.  You will all have received an email from Nicki describing the events of the week.  In addition, Mary and I are canceling Monday's faculty meeting.  Please use that time to continue the work started on Friday if you are not done or whatever else you may need to do.  Keep in mind there are only three more weeks of school (Yay!) and all grades should be up to date by now so that there are no surprises for students/parents.  

Here is the rundown of the week:

• Tuesday: Student Council Inauguration and NJHS Induction in the church at 2 pm.  Grades 3-8 will attend the Inauguration (which will happen first) and grades 6-8 will stay for the Induction.
• Wednesday: May Crowning at Mass.  2nd graders will wear their communion outfits and bring clothes to change.  There will be a reception after Mass for the 2nd graders and their families hosted by the 3rd grade in rooms 2 and 3 of the FLC.
• 8th graders will take their math finals on Wed. and Thurs.
• Thursday: Festival of the Arts.  I invite everyone to attend the event which takes place right after school.  The drama club and 5th grade will be performing in the music room at approximately 3:30 pm
• Friday: Marvelous Mustang (be sure all parents have been invited) after the morning show on Facebook Live.  In the evening is the Middle School Social.

It will be a busy week and the fun will continue next week with graduation activities.  I wish you all a joy-filled week with many Holy Moments.