Celebrating Our Community #CSW21

Katie Botha • January 27, 2021

In anticipation of this year’s Catholic Schools Week (Jan.31 – Feb.6), we asked student representatives in each homeroom to share why they love being a part of the Saint Mary’s Catholic School Community. It’s been a year like no other in our school’s history and we are so proud of every student for smiling through their masks and sharing their spirit of gratitude with us. Enjoy!

ECDC student testimonials

Dancing was a common theme among our Junior Kindergarten representatives, possibly because they were asked for ideas on how we should celebrate Catholic Schools Week!

In Kindergarten, things got a little more specific. Our first representative requested to pay a visit to his favorite place in the whole school–the Art Room! While our second friend declared his favorite spot of all was the playground. No surprise there…

And speaking of the playground, that is where our next two student testimonials were captured during first grade’s recess time. Check them out below!

Elementary School student testimonials

Second graders captured in the videos below were equally clear on their favorite spot and subjects. For our book lover, the library is her happy place, whereas our PE enthusiast chose the multipurpose cafetorium.

Grade three learners were all about resource classes! Our first representative loves art–and Father Mike’s homilies–while our second student loves music. Both acknowledge that resource classes are a bit different this year. For example we listen to music more instead of singing, but that is not a bad thing. Learning to adapt and rising to new challenges has been a big part of what we learn together.

Inspired by the global backdrop for our fourth grade testimonials, our two representatives talked about some bigger topics — school uniforms as symbols of unity and middle school readiness. This pair is certainly ready to share their light with the world!

Fifth grade representatives spoke about Catholic values, celebrating God, in-person school masses and feeling gratitude for kind teachers. Plus feeling just plain lucky to be a student at Saint Mary’s! The feeling is mutual: Our students are AMAZING!

Middle School student testimonials

Sometimes actions can speak just as loud as words–in this case, our first representative from sixth grade literally lit up when we asked him his favorite subject: Math! Upon arriving in Mrs. Olesen’s room, he decided to show off some dance moves in celebration of his recent math midterm success. Our second representative was soft-spoken but clear: She loves how teachers and students make her feel included.

Seventh graders did not hesitate when asked about their favorite things about Saint Mary’s. Our first representative is grateful for our recent facility upgrades and 1:1 technology access! Our second seventh grader chose to share his love for learning Spanish with Señora Thompson at Saint Mary’s in our International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.

Eighth grade student representatives recapped what we love about our school from the inside out: the many academic offerings paired with a deep belief that our faith grounds everything we do. WE ARE SAINT MARY’S!

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Faithful Citizenship Resources In anticipation of Election Day on November 5, the Virginia Catholic Conference has prepared voter education resources to help Catholics confidently vote with an informed conscience. Those resources can be found on the Catholic Diocese of Richmond's website . School Day Reminders This year, Election Day is a regular school day with a regular bell schedule at Saint Mary's Catholic School. In prior years, it has coincided with Parent-Teacher Conferences resulting in a day-off for students; however, that is not the case this school year. Many of our students across all grade levels are aware of the importance of Election Day. We anticipate the days leading up to Election Day and those following it will provide topics of conversation that students may choose to engage in both inside and outside the classroom. If necessary, our teachers may offer age-appropriate explanations of the day's events and results. As family members, we encourage you to guide your children as they navigate their thoughts and feelings over the coming weeks and months.
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