It is a month into our new normal and as we are approaching Thanksgiving, I want to express my thanks to the entire school community for adapting to all the new procedures. The staff has worked hard to come up with the general school procedures and to develop procedures for their own classes. Our caretaking staff needs a huge pat on the back as they have worked tirelessly to create a cleaning and sanitizing schedule that ensures the classrooms are all sanitized during lunch recess. There are days where they are running from one class to another and we should soon have an additional four-hour caretaker to help out during the day. With everyone Synergizing, together is truly better.
We are in our second year of our Faith Plan Making Our Mark – Journey of an Intentional Disciple and our theme for this coming year is Transformed by the Journey. Our first call to action is to Be Gracious and when we are welcoming to others, we welcome Jesus into our midst and become Jesus for that person. It is fitting that with this theme that we are able to welcome students back to school. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus said that where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them. We will continue to gather and welcome Jesus into our midst, but our gatherings will look a little different this year. As we did with opening mass, we had a class of students present while the others joined in virtually. We are hoping to be able to have our school community join us virtually for future celebrations.
Our second call to action is to Be Grateful and we are focusing on an attitude of gratitude where we acknowledge God’s presence and give thanks. As we are heading into Thanksgiving, we will be focusing on giving thanks and expressing gratitude. One of the things I am grateful for is that I am at a Leader in Me school. The students are learning the language and meaning of the 7 Habits and I am learning alongside them. The more I learn, the more I realize the depths of the meaning of each habit. There are many layers to each habit and, each year, students peel more layers to develop a deeper understanding and to learn more skills. Below is a summary of each of the habits so that you can use the same language at home with them.
Habit 1: Be Proactive (You’re in Charge)
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind (Have a Plan)
Habit 3: Put First Things First (Work First, then Play)
Habit 4: Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win)
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk)
Habit 6: Synergize (Together is Better)
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (Balance feels Best)
St. Teresa of Calcutta spoke of gratitude and said that, “joy is prayer; joy is strength; joy is love. God loves a cheerful giver. The best way we can show our gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy.” I pray that your October is filled with joy.
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