Dear St. Bernard Families,
We are officially in full swing! And more than that, we are approaching a term checkpoint - we are only 2 weeks away from First Trimester midterm reports! These are only for students in grades 5-8, but it gives us all a sense of already being deeply into the year. So that you’re not surprised by those October 2 reports, make sure you are checking OptionC, communicating with teachers, and most of all - communicating with your son or daughter about school work! Before we reach that midterm point though, we have a few other exciting things happening… Our First and Second Graders kick off the field trips for the year with a trip to the fossil park and our 8th Graders will attend their annual leadership retreat this month.
Today’s First Reading at Mass was from 1 Corinthians and is likely a passage that you’ve heard before: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Father Jim challenged us to insert our names in place of “love” and “it” (where “it” refers to love). Obviously we do not always live up to this, but it is our goal! Maybe see if your child remembers this from Mass today and talk about this beautiful passage and related virtues (patience, kindness, etc.) and vices (jealousy, rudeness, etc.). Being a part of the St. Bernard School Community is being a part of a commitment to pursue holiness and lead our children toward greater holiness. Hopefully this little exercise can be incorporated around the dinner table and will inspire our children to greater love.
Have a great rest of your week! God bless!
Sincerely,
Mr. Ertel
P.S. Today is the memorial of St. Joseph of Cupertino - a truly remarkable saint. If you are looking for a good family movie, check out The Reluctant Saint. God Bless!
