To the wonderful St. Therese community,
Most importantly I want to wish everyone Advent blessings and a very merry Christmas!! There are a dozen other things I would love to share with you all, but Santa hasn't done any shopping yet, and I need to help him out!
There are a couple neat things I do want to share though. As I write this, I am watching the technicians from a security firm install the hardware for our new comprehensive security system! In 2023, we secured a grant from an amazing, Catholic philanthropic group, the JTMF Foundation. They have been supporting us annually for at least 3 years now. If you have the interest, I encourage you to learn more about what they do, and the groups they help. We happen to be right in their strike zone, as a diverse school committed to keeping Catholic education accessible to as many kids and families as we can. We are very thankful for their support and ongoing partnership.
School safety is among the highest priorities for staff and admin. It's especially a concern in the times in which we find ourselves, as anyone can glean from the news. As educators, parents, and lifelong learners, it can be hard to keep the "what if" thoughts at bay. I am genuinely pleased to report that this much needed upgrade, financed through the philanthropic efforts of JTMF, should help us all sleep a little bit better at night. This is a significant enhancement to St. Therese campus security.
Speaking of new additions to St. Therese School, you may be familiar with Hallow, which is acclaimed as the #1 Catholic Prayer & Meditation App. I've used Hallow as a resource for personal prayer, a way to involve my kids and family in prayer, and I recommend it. As a member of the clergy, Father Gabriele was previously familiar with Hallow and he encouraged school staff to explore it.
Best practices as well as curriculum are both ever changing in the world of education. If one had mentioned a prayer "app" in a smartphone or tablet as a viable resource for supplementing religious studies even just 5 years ago, we might have laughed, but here we are in 2024, almost 2025! In January, all of our teachers, students, and staff will have access to Hallow accounts and all of its features. Teachers will use Hallow to supplement their religion lessons, and lessons in social emotional learning. (Insider hack, to be taken as you wish: hang tight on purchasing the Hallow app, as we are hoping that our students' enrollment will extend to families as well...more to come on that in January.)
In digging around on Hallow recently myself, I came across St. Andrew's Novena. The following is an excerpt, which is both beautiful and timely.
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires (one may mention their intentions here), through the merits of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother.
Amen.
As we continue to wait, hope and reflect on the liturgical season of Advent, I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas! In the new year, we will celebrate 2025 as the "the Jubilee Year of Hope, declared by Pope Francis for 2025 — a time of renewal, grace, and spiritual joy observed every 25 years."
In Christ the Teacher,
Chris Schoning
Principal
St. Therese School
