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Lent 2024

Recently I saw a rather ominous but sadly not surprising statistic.  On average, the age in which children completely separate from any kind of faith or spiritual belief is by the 4th Grade.  To put some personal interpretation on such a statistic, one could argue that by 10 or 11 years old, children in our culture have evolved to the point of “outgrowing” a traditional spiritual practice.  It may be that they cannot see any value in things beyond the rationalization of “seeing is believing”.  They may feel that no one can tell me what to do.   Just ask their parents, am I right?  It may even be as simple as an overcrowded schedule and the thing with the least amount of instant gratification had to get cut.  An objective and reasonable observer can look at all of these reasons and, at the very least, understand.  The powerful force of modern culture to create independent, self-sufficient individuals who should seek out material happiness and positive “feelings” at all cost is a force to be reckoned with.  And yet, no matter how hard our culture tells us to just “do you” or to manifest those positive feelings more strongly, the data seems to imply the opposite.  We are living in a time of record rates of depression, anxiety, and a feeling of loneliness at all levels but, most sadly, in our children.

Now, I’m going to be very straightforward here.  I know that there are long lists (and many personal opinions) of the pros and cons of organized religion.  Many points on both lists are true just as many (again on both sides) are ingenious efforts to either maintain or disrupt the status quo.  However, from a therapeutic and psychological side, I do see a correlation between the rising mental health crisis and the direction of our “Me first” culture.  I feel compelled to once again state, I am biased.  As a licensed professional counselor who is also the principal of a Catholic school, I would not be considered for an article in a peer-reviewed journal on this subject.  BUT, there are many studies that show a connection between heightened anxiety and depression and a lack of purpose or connection to something beyond oneself (see work by Tim Klein on the Purpose Mindset as an example).  Faith and spiritual practice can be a helpful way to easily teach our children behaviors and strategies that people often seek out in therapy later in life.  Faith can be a lens in which our children learn to deal with the difficulties of life (DBT therapy), develop strategies to use our thoughts, feelings, and emotions to more effectively guide our behaviors (cognitive-behavioral therapy), or even simply relaxing our bodies in prayer to embrace a given moment (mindfulness therapy).  And, at the very minimum, faith and spiritual practice can connect us to a community.  A common reason for people feeling anxious or depressed is a feeling of loneliness or being disconnected even though we are seemingly always busy doing something.  Real, purposeful connection on a spiritual level is something that we no longer have time for but so desperately desire.

Now, this does not require sainthood, any vows to be made, or most importantly an envelope of cash to put in the basket each weekend.  It just requires a desire to give our kids the tools to handle this ever-changing world and maybe even helping ourselves as well.  We are currently in the season of Lent.  Traditionally, many people see this as a season of classic Catholic guilt and uncomfortable repentance.  But, in reality, it is beautifully so much more.  It is a time for us to reflect on ourselves, as objectively as possible, to see what is controlling us, keeping us from being truly happy.  And while our minds are sneaky and blind us from these realities, a little time and effort (and a dash of honesty) can help reveal these auto-pilot behaviors that have been growing in us since the 4th grade.  So, I invite us all to spend this Lent a little more reflective, a little more open to the Spirit, and a little more willing to look honestly (and yet lovingly) at ourselves.  We’re not perfect.  And that’s ok.  But we can always work to improve.  As Jesus once said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

January 2023

Dear St. Joseph School families,

Each January, the Catholic school community around the United States celebrates Catholic Schools Week, beginning on the last Sunday of the month.  The week includes events that recognize our parishes, our communities, our students, our nation, our faculty, and our families.  At St. Joseph School, we do not need a week to celebrate these aspects of our school. We do that consistently throughout the year.  Our school is a unique community that comes together, out of love for our children, to create a nurturing, supportive, and rigorous environment for students to thrive academically, spiritually, and socially.  It is not one person or even one group of people that is the reason for our school’s 120 years of service and success.  It is the collaborative cohesion of all of people who call SJS home (past, present, and future) that drives our school in its mission.  For this, we thank ALL of you.

Many of you are here for many different reasons.  Some are here to provide your students with opportunities to express and grow in their faith.  Some are here for the academic rigor and success that St. Joseph School has come to be known for.  Some are here for the close-knit, supportive, and safe community.  Some are here for small class sizes that allow students to get the individual attention they deserve.  Whatever your reason for being a part of the St. Joseph School family, I truly believe it is because we are a Catholic school.  Our Catholic faith drives everything that we do.  We celebrate and pass on our faith for the genuine beauty and peace that true faith can bring a hurting and angry world.  We push our students to be the best they can be because we truly see each child in the image of God and something to be cherished, nurtured, and encouraged.  We establish our community to reflect Catholic values because we are not called to be isolated, ego-centric forces pushing forward for personal gain but connected souls that help each other hear God’s voice and understand our own purpose to live, learn and love without distinction.  And we keep our class sizes small because each child is “…unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name.” (St. Pope John Paul II).  And because of these things that are rooted in our Catholic faith, St. Joseph School has been called home by generations of families since 1903. 

Each day that I come to work at the school where I grew up and now my children are growing up, I thank God for such a blessing.  Minus two years of public high school (after Confirmation classes that took place here freshman and sophomore year), I have been involved with St. Joseph School in some way, shape, or form since 1989.  And I couldn’t think of any other place I would rather be.

Thank you for all that you do and for being a part of the St. Joseph School family.  Please see the following pages for information on events that we have planned for this year’s Catholic Schools Week.  We look forward to giving our students (and faculty and staff) a fun and faith-filled week.  May God bless us all!

2024 Catholic Schools Week!

October 2023

October is a month of changes.  Autumn arrives with its full display of warm colors and seasonal traditions such as pumpkin patches and apple picking.  But with these beautiful and often sentimental markers of fall comes chilling winds and shortened days.  Once the honeymoon of the holiday trifecta passes us by, we realize we are trapped in the winter doldrums.  This may activate our defense mechanisms early and we try to hold on to the summer as tightly as we can.  I see it often in those students who wear shorts even though they complain that it’s cold outside.

This October, I turn 40.  While I don’t necessarily feel 40 (at least not every day…), I’m feeling myself grasping onto some aspects of the past and avoidant to accept some of the realities of the future.  I think we are all faced with moments like this throughout our lives, moments where the future can seem to be so full of changes and uncertainties, we are completely overwhelmed.  It may seem easier to just dig in and refuse to move forward. 

In the fall, a simple glance at a family calendar can put this idea into perspective.  School, activities, meetings, everything starts to roar back into the routines and we can be left trying to remember what day it is.  Our students also can be impacted by this sense of anxiety.  Overly packed schedules, homework, the social dilemmas of middle school, it all comes rushing at them. 

A helpful strategy is to look at the liturgy.  The Catholic calendar follows the ebb and flow of the seasons.  As our Church year winds to end in the fall (along with all the leaves) and holds us steady through winter (thank you, Advent), we emerge in the spring with the joys of Easter.  The lesson learned here is that to be transformed/improved/made stronger, we first must embrace the change.  We must walk confidently into the unknown and trust and hope that all will be well.  But it doesn’t just stop there.  We need to act and do what is necessary even if we sometimes may not want to.  Be it organizing our family schedule to ensure there’s still time for quality family time or helping our students manage the growing pains of friends, homework, etc. or being “over the hill” and trying not to throw your back out while sneezing, we take that step forward and embrace all the seasons of life.  And just like the falls in autumn or the quiet sound of snow falling in winter, there’s beauty in everything if we are just willing to look at it.

August 2023

For my first year as Principal of St. Joseph School in 2015, I used a quote from St. Francis to introduce my goal for the year to families.  It is one of my favorite quotes focused on faith: “Preach the Gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words.”  Another wise person stated a similar idea with “Be the change you want to see in the world”.  I’m sure many of us are turned off from the idea of people passing harsh and often hypocritical judgments from their metaphorical soap boxes.  With the words of St. Francis, we are encouraged show our faith to others instead of simply using words, which can sometimes come off as empty.  This faith in action is the essence of St. Joseph School.

At SJS, our vision is to “learn and love without distinction”.  We hold ourselves to this ideal in all that we do and hope to pass this along to our students and our families.  We encourage our families to learn all that they can and love everyone they meet.  As faculty and staff, we hold ourselves to these same expectations.  This drives our entire school program, and we don’t do this alone.  We do this through collaboration with you, the families.  This year, SJS celebrates its 120th anniversary.  We wouldn’t be here without all of you.  Thank you!

For the second year in a row, we will see a record enrollment during my administration.  We have over 190 students enrolled with many new families joining us.  Welcome to the St. Joseph School family!  To our returning families, thank you for your continued partnership and support as we prepare for a brand-new year.  We have made many improvements to our school this summer.  We have added a new Kindergarten class due to enrollment numbers in that grade!  We have upgraded our Science, Social Studies, and Math textbooks in our middle school along with Science and Social Studies in Grades 4 & 5.  We have hired a security consultant to review and update our school safety plan and are currently working to replace our aging school PA system.  And lastly, due to the amazing support of our Home & School Fundraising, our HSA is sponsoring an upgrade to our playscape padding. 

With summer winding down (while I’m sure many don’t want to admit it), I wanted to send along some important information about “Back to School” events happening in August.  Attached to this letter, you will find an info sheet for upcoming events along with our school calendar. Please review the information carefully, mark your calendars, and reach out to me directly with any questions!

Thursday, August 24th:

• 5:30pm - New Family Orientation in the Guild Hall (St. Joseph Church basement)
  • This event is intended for families new to St. Joseph School.  We will review our Student/Family Handbook, Home & School Fundraising requirements, and have a Q&A for any questions you may have about our school or the upcoming school year. 
  • Students should not attend this meeting but are welcome to come if you do not have childcare available.

• 6:30pm - Pre-K Orientation and Kindergarten Orientation in respective classrooms.
  • These events are for families with students in Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and Kindergarten.
  •  Sessions will review programs and give families a chance to get to know the teachers and classrooms. 
  • Students should not attend these meetings but are welcome to come if you do not have childcare available.   Students are invited to “Meet the Teacher Night”.
  • The New Family Orientation will dismiss in time for new PK or K families to attend both.
  • If a family needs to attend both sessions (PK & K) and only one parent/guardian can attend, please contact Mr. Frenette or the teacher and we will work with you.

Monday, Aug. 28th: “Meet the Teacher Night” starting at 6pm in classrooms.

• This event is for all families and students.  Families are invited to our classrooms to meet the teacher, drop off first day materials/work, and meet friends.  Information about student/family expectations, what to expect this year, and other important topics will be available for families. 
• For families visiting multiple classrooms, we ask you to please start with your oldest child’s classroom.  Due to the age of lower grades and the “excitement” at this event, lower grade teachers will give more detailed information at the October parent/teacher conferences, but families are also encouraged to ask or reach out with any questions! 
• Middle School families should start in their student’s grade teacher.  They will then rotate every twenty minutes to meet the other teachers in our Middle School program.
• The event will conclude by 8pm.

Tuesday, Aug. 29th:  8th Grade Retreat Day starting at 9am at St. Joseph Chapel.

Wednesday, Aug. 30th:  First Day of School for Grades K-8 (all days this week will have 12:30pm dismissal for K-8 students).

Monday, September 4th:  NO SCHOOL – Labor Day

Tuesday, September 5th:  First Day of School for PK students (12:30pm for PK students ONLY).

NO AFTERCARE UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY!

I hope you all enjoy these remaining weeks of summer with your families!

God bless,

Eric Frenette LPC, NCC

Principal