Principal's Page

November is a month where we, as a country, collectively reflect on gratitude.  We recognize and celebrate the many things that we are thankful for.  We also exercise our American responsibility to vote.  It is interesting how these two things fall in the same month and yet they often become a dichotomy of each other.  Our political culture, and even our “regular” culture for that matter, have become such an issue of contention, animosity, and sometimes just ugly hatred.  My prayer is that one day soon our country and our culture may unify through gratitude.  Thankfulness and gratitude can often help us rise above differences, the things not going our way, or even the blatant problems and help us focus on what is truly good.

At St. Joseph School, I am thankful for many things.  I am thankful for our students who come to school each day with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.  I’m thankful for our families who have trusted us with their children and often linger in our parking lots building our community.  I’m thankful for our pastor and our parish for their endless support.  I’m thankful for our dedicated teachers and staff who are here truly because they believe in the mission of our school.  But beyond the obvious, I’m thankful for when I walk the halls and see classrooms full of learning, joy, and innocence.  I’m thankful for looking out the window during recess and seeing children being kind and happy.  I’m thankful for the beautiful grounds of our campus, the student who thinks no one can hear him singing in the echo-y bathroom during a break, for the leaky sink I need to fix or the stuck gate that needs to be opened.  I’m thankful for even the difficult days at St. Joseph School.  Why?  Because without the “autumns” we can’t appreciate the “summers”.  Without the bad, we lose sight of the good.  The simplicity of each day, the quiet moments, the things we often take for granted can help us rise above the angry noise in the world and truly see the gifts from God.

One of the more obvious and more important things that I am truly thankful for at St. Joseph School is our yearly Auction run by our Home & School Association and dedicated volunteers.  This year, our Auction will be on November 16th.  Tickets are due this Friday (Nov. 1)!  Please consider attending this wonderful community event.  This event is our largest fundraiser and (I’m biased) just a great night out to celebrate our community.  Each year I am blown away by the dedication, creativity, and generosity of our community.  And while the auction and bidding can be fun, it’s not everything.  Sharing a meal, having some laughs, and being together are just some of those “quiet moments” that we can often take for granted.  Come join us and build up our wonderful community!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  We truly have a lot to be thankful for….