AFL Web Quark 9.1 PDF export settings · 2020. 3. 31. · —Kindergarten students work at tables in Bishop Schad Regional Grammar School, Vineland, on Jan. 18. This year’s theme

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE CATHOLIC STAR HERALD JANUARY 26, 2018

Photo by James A. McBride

Claire Velte and more than a dozen other elementary and high school students write about their own experiences and views on Catholic education.

Catholic Schools WeekLearn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.

S2 Catholic Star Herald January 26, 2018Catholic Schools Week

January 26, 2018 Catholic Star Herald S3Learn • Serve • Lead • Succeed

Photo by Alan M. Dumoff

LEARN. SERVE. LEAD. SUCCEED. — Kindergarten students work at tables in Bishop Schad Regional Grammar School, Vineland, on Jan. 18. This year’stheme is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.


901 Hopkins Road • Haddonfield, NJ 856.858.4900 • www.pvihs.org

freedom

responsibility

excellence

PAUL VI HIGH SCHOOLis proud to be a part of

Catholic Schools Week 2018Catholic Schools:

Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.

By Brianna MarcelinAssumption Regional CatholicSchool, Galloway

John J. Convey of The CatholicUniversity of America inWashington, D.C., reports that 99

percent of students who attend aCatholic high school graduate. I firmlybelieve this is because the studentshave someone to push them to reachfor the stars anddig for more.Catholic schoolchildren learn howto be devoted andselfless becausetheir school lead-ers encouragethem to set goalsfor themselvesacademically, spir-itually and person-ally.

The academic leaders who pushedme to do my best were Thomas andMary Ellen Schurtz. I would not havehad such valuable experiences if I didnot have my Catholic school education.

After retiring from teaching highschool, Thomas Schurtz was a litera-ture teacher at Assumption Regional

Catholic School for another 10 yearsbefore again retiring. Mr. Schurtzknew how to capture each student’sattention with his goofy personalityand he pushed us to dive deeper intoevery novel and assignment. He taughtme how to think. He was the hardeston his students, yet was still every-one’s “favorite.” His extraordinary,sometimes unbelievable, stories capti-vated each of us and drilled his lessonhome, especially while often noting,“You’re entitled to my opinion.”

He and his wife shared many charac-teristics, especially their love for theirCatholic school, but one identical char-acteristic shone through: they werewarriors, in every sense of the word.

Mary Ellen Schurtz was the princi-pal of Assumption Regional CatholicSchool for eight years after teachingthere for 18 years. Mrs. Schurtz was

the best principal I could ever imagine.Every day, her radiant smile would bethe first thing students saw whilewalking into school. She stood withthis smile even while fighting her ownbattle. In 2013, Mary Ellen Schurtzwas diagnosed with breast cancer. Shedidn’t let anyone know how she wasfeeling; she never showed her pain.Her illness never stopped her frombeing a role model.

As I stood at her funeral in July2017, I realized that her presence mademe who I am today. Through her battlewith cancer, she remained poised,calm, faithful, caring and, most impor-tantly, present. Even through the worst,she fought and remained faithful ineverything she did. Through her faith-fulness and strength in Christ, shebecame a model to all students at ourschool. She was an example for all of

us, especially us girls. She taught mehow to be the woman I wanted to be,and her connection to Catholic schoolgave her the opportunity to do so.

My parents gave me the gift of aCatholic education at the age of 4without knowing Mr. and Mrs. Schurtzwould have this effect on me. Now, asan eighth grader, I know how confi-dently I can go to high school, present-ing myself as a young woman of faith,intelligence and assuredness. Thomasand Mary Ellen Schurtz were the expe-rience, what Catholic education ismeant to be. To me they were morethan that; they were my gift of a life-time, a gift I could only receivethrough a Catholic education.

As I stood at her funeral in July

2017, I realized that her presence

made me who I am today.


BRIANNAMARCELIN

MARY ELLEN AND THOMASSCHURTZ

By AJ FucciCape Trinity Regional CatholicSchool, North Wildwood

Ihave received many gifts in myshort life, but nothing will everexceed the education I am current-

ly receiving. My school has taught memany character and life building skills.We have journeyed through so manyexperiences as a class and as a school.My class has gone to visit seniors, par-ticipated in sports, and has made oureducation as Catholics a priority.

In seventh grade we would take atrip down the street to the NorthWildwood Recreation Center. Everyday the senior citizens of the surround-ing communities gather to do smallactivities. Many elderly people arelonely because their kids are grown up,or their spouse has passed. This centergives them the chance to enjoy eachother’s presence, feel like part of acommunity. When we arrive at thecenter the atmosphere seems lighterand more uplifting. Their happiness inseeing us is just so amazingly power-ful. They are more engaging and ani-mated when you converse with them.This experience taught me that life isshort, and we have to take everyopportunity to make ourselves the bestperson we can be.

Basketball, baseball, soccer, softball,cross country and cheer leading are allsports that our school hosts. I myselfparticipate in soccer and basketball.When our team has basketball practice,we run as a team, do plays as a team

and act like a team. One night at prac-tice we were running drills the best wehad since the start of practices.Suddenly our coaches started cheeringand getting excited. I didn’t realizewhat they saw until later. I figured out

that they saw a team. They saw a teamthat they knew was going to succeed.From this I learned that teamwork isvery important in life, and being agood teammate is a skill everyoneshould have.

The Catholic religion can be verycomplex. So it is especially importantto have an education for it. Every daymy class has a religion class at the endof the day. This class is very differentthan all of my other classes. This classrequires my full belief and devotion.As a class we navigate our religionand learn all of the aspects of it. Forexample, in class we were learningabout the Ten Commandments. Inoticed that the Commandments werea group, but also each had its ownidentity. This was the first time I real-ized that we are learning more thanjust a few sentences. We are learningwhy these sentences exist.

Although I have not been alive verylong, I still can predict the effects of aCatholic education. My father went toCatholic school, and his education hasguided him to be the director of theMarianist Family Retreat Center.When I see this, it gives me insight towhat might be in store for me in thefuture. Only if it’s visiting senior citi-zens or participating in sports, it’s stillthe start to an amazing journey ahead.

AJ FUCCI WITH HIS PARENTS, ERIN AND ANTHONY FUCCI

No gift could be better than a Catholic education

A teacher and principal who pushed me to do my best


By Maggie McMahonBishop McHugh Regional School,Cape May Court House

When you think of a gift, youmay think of a materialitem: the newest clothing

item, a new Xbox or Play Station. Butthere are gifts that are more than justmaterial items; for example: happiness,love or our educa-tion. These giftsare more impor-tant than anymaterial item, butthey often getsidelined. My giftof a Catholic edu-cation is a gift of alifetime, and it hastaught me how touse my spiritual virtues.

For the last nine years of my life, Ihave attended Bishop McHughRegional Catholic School. But it wasn’t

always set in stone that I was going to aCatholic school. In fact, nine years ago,sending me to a Catholic school wasmore of a wish than a reality for myparents. Originally, the plan was for meto attend Saint Augustine CatholicSchool in Ocean City, but that plan wasended when the school closed.

At the that time, Upper TownshipPublic School seemed to be the onlyoption. It was a great school, but myparents really wanted to put my sistersand me through Catholic school, justlike their parents had done for themyears ago.

Soon my parents discovered BishopMcHugh through a friend, and from

that point on, my parents knew thatthis was the place for me to grow.

In my nine years in Catholic educa-tion, I’ve excelled in academics, ath-letics and leadership. I’ve beeninstructed to strive to live like Jesus —in compassion, hope and love.

At the beginning of this year I wasreally struggling in my math class. Iam taking Algebra 1, and I was reallystruggling. I was getting grades thatweren’t what I wanted to get. I turnedto my teacher for help. She took timeout of her busy schedule to help me,and soon I was doing much better.Thanks to my teacher, I’m now gettingthe grades I expect from myself and

am feeling so much more confident.At a public school, I might not havebeen able to get the help I neededfrom the teachers because they haveso many students to teach and notenough time for one-on-one attention.In the future, I’ll look back on this asa gift.

In the future, I’ll be able to apply forany job I desire because I’ll be so pre-pared. Not only will I be prepared aca-demically, but also spiritually. Byreceiving a Catholic education, I’llhave leadership skills, recognize God’swill in my life, and know how to treatpeople right. These skills are what setsstudents who go through Catholic edu-cation apart, and that is truly a gift of alifetime.

Enid Ivanov said, “When life givesyou a gift, receive it with all of yourheart.” Catholic education is a true giftthat will help you become your bestself. It is a gift that will help everyonego and make a difference in the world.

MAGGIEMCMAHON

I’ve been instructed to strive to live like

Jesus — in compassion, hope and love.

By Jennifer AlemianGloucester Catholic High School

My life wouldn’t be the samewithout Catholic education.It has been more than a priv-

ilege to attend Catholic School formost of my life and to earn an educa-tion some individuals would dream ofhaving. Catholicism has always been apart of my life and who I am.

I was born in Cairo, Egypt and livedthere for about 11 years. My immediatefamily moved to New Jersey in 2011due to the Egyptian Revolution, whichwas when the Muslim Brotherhoodtook power in Egypt. It was extremelydangerous, especially for Christians.

While I lived in Egypt I attendedSacre Coeur de Heliopolis, which wasan all-girls school that is a combina-tion of a Catholic school and a Muslimschool. Every week Catholics wouldall, as a school, go to Mass, whileMuslims went to class to learn abouttheir religion. It was an experience thattaught me many lessons, for example,respecting cultural differences anddiversification.

Moving to New Jersey was a verydifficult chapter in my life. I had tomake new friends, learn how to speakEnglish, and I wanted to fit in with thecrowd. Although it was a difficultchapter in my life, it made me learnthat God has a plan for everyone.Middle school and high school shapedme into the person I am today.

I was always scared to go to highschool, but I knew I’d be comfortablewhen choosing Gloucester Catholic. I

went through a lot throughout sopho-more year and I was in need of some-one to guide me and help me throughit. Ms. Heeder, my sophomore religionteacher, helped me through my strug-gles every single day. She was theshoulder to cry on when I needed it.Whenever she realized I was upset orhaving a bad day, she would give me abracelet to wear for the day that said,“Choose Joy.” Ms. Heeder taught mehow to have open arms for everyoneand to be welcoming.

Gloucester Catholic gave me somany opportunities, for example,Kairos. Kairos, a three-day Catholicretreat program, taught me many les-sons. Through Kairos, I realized that Iam not alone. I got to know differenttypes of people and their experienceson a new level. My relationship withGod grew stronger everyday through-out the retreat. I got to talk to Godthrough nature walks and long talkswith amazing people.

I got an unexpected letter fromsomeone during Kairos. When Iopened the envelope, a bracelet wasattached to the letter and it said,“Choose Joy.” I immediately had tearsof joy when realizing it was from Ms.Heeder. Ever since Kairos, I’ve beengoing to church every Sunday andstarted praying more. I appreciate thegift of life and Catholic educationmore than I ever had. I learn some-thing new every single day, whetherit’s learning more about my Catholicfaith, or life lessons. I thank God everysingle day because of the best gift Icould ask for, my Catholic education. JENNIFER ALEMIAN

Fleeing Egypt, and learning to choose joy

Catholic school is ‘the place for me to grow’


By Aidan HigginsSaint John Paul II, Stratford

Iam dust, and unto dust I shallreturn. In the meantime, I amgrowing, learning and appreciating

the ride I get to take along the way.Like every other kid, I have to go toschool every day, but unlike every kid,I love it. I have been at Saint John PaulII since pre-school. It is my extendedfamily, and I can attribute who I amtoday, the way that I think, feel, believeand live, to that school family as wellas the parents and immediate family Ihave been blessed with.

We all wear the same uniform buthave different colored hair, eyes andskin and different personalities. Wecome from different backgrounds butblend together to share and learn fromeach other as well as from our teach-ers. They encourage us every day tolearn and improve ourselves by beingproud of successes and challenged bymistakes. Every year I have been therea teacher has changed how I look atdifferent situations for the better. Iremember being hugged and singingabout Jesus loving me as vividly as Iremember learning to read. We learnour faith by living it. Older studentspair with younger ones to attend week-

ly Mass and we pray and sing together.I love learning about our religionbecause I can apply every lesson to myown life and share it with others. Itfeels great to join my classmates mak-ing sandwiches for the poor, collectingdonations for families in need, dress-ing down and contributing to hurricanevictim efforts, etc.

Our studies are not always easy. Wework hard with teachers always readyto help when necessary. I rememberbeing confused by some grammarintricacies, so I went to my ELAteacher, Mr. Frank, multiple times

when he could fit me in, and heworked patiently with me until it madesense. On those days I learned not onlyhow to locate a subject complement,but also to extend a helping hand toothers in need. I try to help anyonewho asks and give them the samepatience and support I received when Iwas being helped.

Challenging projects or reportsencourage independent thinking togain insight and understand a widevariety of subjects. The religious partof the education tests how much youalready know about your faith andteaches you material that you do not.The teachers provide assistance butthey also challenge you to figure outthings on your own. If you don’tunderstand something, you can simply

raise your hand and ask for more help.I play a lot of sports outside of

school and share everyday experienceswith kids from other schools. Nonedescribe their feeling about school theway I do. The best part about myschool experience is how I feel like Iam hone every time I enter school. Theentire school is a large family that sup-ports one another constantly. I thinkeveryone should have the chance tofeel and share that warmth and com-passion. I cannot express how thankfulI am to receive a Catholic education. Ican say that who I have grown to be isin a large part of who I have grown upwith both at home and at school. I canhonestly say that although I have along way to go, today I am more thanhappy with who I am.

I can say that who I have grownto be is in a large part of who I

have grown up with both athome and at school.

By Claire VeltePaul VI High School, Haddonfield

In the past three years as a studentat Paul VI High School, I havebecome acutely aware of the

impact of my Catholic education. Iconsider the opportunity to attend PVIa gift because it blends all aspects ofmy life, including academics, socialinteraction, service in my community,and my relationship with my faith. Myrelationship with my faith has beenespecially impacted as a result of myCatholic education, and I could not bemore impressed with the effect thePaul VI family has had upon it.

I came from a small, public middleschool with an intense focus on aca-demics and barely any emphasis onpersonal growth, so Paul VI was a newand rewarding adjustment. Not onlywere my first impressions of my fresh-man year teachers positive, but I feltmy four years at the school would beenriching in a much deeper sense. Andthough this was immediately apparentto me in ninth grade, it took until myjunior year for my Catholic educationto impact my faith in a very real way.

When I was assigned Mr. Rendfreyas a teacher for religion this year, Iwas assigned a coach in my faith, and

one whose attention to detail andinvestment in his students has made allthe difference in how I perceive theworld. I didn’t necessarily find a con-nection in my life regarding the princi-ples of my Catholic faith and theimpact that it has on collective societythrough service and reverence. Mr.Rendfrey opened my eyes to all ofthis.

I can safely say Mr. Rendfrey’steachings have changed my life’s view.I appreciate the way he makes religionaccessible to everyone, and his outlooktranscends literal teachings to encom-pass unique interpretations of God’sinfluence.

Coming to his class as a studentwithout a concrete understanding of

her relationship with God, he hashelped me to understand the complexi-ties of my faith, as well as how to rem-edy any doubts I may have within it.His teaching contains a strong empha-sis on understanding and utilizingsacramental awareness, a way of think-ing in which one comes to recognizethe extraordinary in the ordinary. Thisway of thinking allowed me to exam-ine the world around me through thefilter of my faith and to recognize thekindness and love within it. MyCatholic education creates an opportu-nity for introspection that I may havemissed out on had I not chosen toattend Paul VI.

The energy expended by theCatholic school teachers I have

encountered throughout my educationamazes me; their endless support andinvestment in their students’ wellbeingand success is a gift to all those undertheir guidance. I consider my Catholiceducation to be the gift of a lifetimebecause it has guided me toward amore intense examination of my faithand my relationship with the worldaround me. I’m only a junior so I amexcited to see how much more I cangrow at Paul VI in the coming yearbefore I can take the lessons I’velearned here out into the world.

My Catholic education creates anopportunity for introspection that Imay have missed out on had I not

chosen to attend Paul VI.


CLAIRE VELTE

AIDAN HIGGINS

Learning to see through a filter of faith

We learn our faith by living it in Catholic school

By Jared AlkeaHoly Name School, Camden

L ast Christmas I received a lotof gifts from my family andfriends. My parents have also

chosen to give me another gift, aCatholic school education. For sixyears I attended public school, but thenmy parents decided to send me to HolyName. I can truly say my Catholicschool education is the gift of a life-time.

The main reason I think Catholicschool education is a great gift isbecause of the opportunity. Our oppor-tunities at Catholic school are verydiverse. For example, my school has aprogram with Rutgers Universitycalled Ignite. It provides a taste of acollege experience by having classeson campus. The program also has les-sons on cooking, financial manage-ment, gardening, dancing and manyother fun activities. Our school alsotakes us to Rutgers to see art exhibitsand to see shows.

Along with this program, eighthgrade students at Holy Name also havethe opportunity to get an internship atAdventure Aquarium. At the end of the

year we participate in a very coolspeech contest.

My Catholic school provides manyother extracurricular activities, such assports, choir, robotics and aviationclub. The Catholic Partnership spon-sors the teams and activities. We havea wide variety of sports, and we playother local Catholic schools. I amgrateful to be able to participate in allthe activities the Catholic Partnershipsupplies.

Catholic school gives me great giftsnow, but it also prepares me for thefuture. Catholic middle schools tryvery hard to prepare their students forhigh school, and for this reason highschools look for Catholic school grad-uates. Many local high schools com-pete for the best students fromCatholic schools because they know

we are taught well. We have organizedtrips to high schools, and we get tomeet students when they do service atour school. Alumni from Catholicschools tend to go back and help at theschools that got them to where theyare now.

Catholic school alumni come backbecause of the strong bonds that arecreated at Catholic schools. The schoolI attend is like a second family to me.We are tight knit so there is no bully-ing, discrimination or hatred. Ourschool is small but it creates lovebetween all the students and teachers.Holy Name is still home for alumni,too. My mom was in the first eighthgrade class to graduate from HolyName. I can already see myself com-ing back years later and coaching thebasketball team I once played for.

Catholic school is a great blessingbut its biggest difference from publicschool is spirituality. In public schoolreligion is not a subject up for discus-sion, but in Catholic school we havereligion class. We also have Massevery month, and we can always go tothe church when we need to. That iswhere I thank God for the blessing ofCatholic education because it is thegift of a lifetime.

We can always go to the church whenwe need to. That is where I thank Godfor the blessing of Catholic education.


Photo by James A. McBride

STRONG EDUCATION — Students from Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, sing at the kick off for Catholic Strong on Jan. 16 at Our Lady ofHope Parish, Blackwood.

JARED ALKEA

Bullying, discrimination, hatred have no place here


Interested in attending? Call or email Melissa Chesebro at [email protected]

or 856-767-1751 ext. 303

1 N. Cedar Ave. Berlin, NJ 08009

A new beginning to excellence!

Proclaiming Catholic values with justice, respect and compassion!

Holy AngelsCatholic School211 Cooper St. Woodbury, NJ 08096

• Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 as well as Kindergarten through 8th Grade

• Middle States Accreditation & Recognition

• Smaller class size encourages creativity releasing hidden student talents

• Zero Tolerance for Bullying

• School Technology: Classroom Smart Boards, Media Center, Stem classes and WiFi

• Before and After School Programs sensitive to working parent needs

• Extracurricular programs: Music, Drama Club, Arts & Crafts, Student Government, award-winning SeaPerch Team/Engineering Club

• Sport & Fitness Programs: Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Cheerleading & more

For more information or to schedule a school tour,

Please call: (856) 848-6826 Or Email: [email protected]

Check us out on facebook @ Holy Angels Catholic Schoolor visit www.holyangelswoodbury.org


By Timothy KubiakSaint Mary School, East Vineland

I started at Saint Mary School inEast Vineland, in pre-K 3 at age 3.I still attend Saint Mary School in

eighth grade. For about 86 percent ofmy life, I have attended a Catholicschool.

There are many different types ofgifts, but I think that my gift of aCatholic education is unique. Most giftsare physical things that can be enjoyedor used in everyday life, and myCatholic education can do the same.Unlike most regular gifts, however, myCatholic education can never be takenaway from me, and will last a lifetime.I will attend a Catholic high school aswell, which definitely shows commit-ment to the ideals learned and practicedin the first major stage of my life.

At my school, service is expected ineveryday life. We have had multipleschool wide service projects. In oneinstance, my class collected and foldedplastic bags in preparation for weavingthem into mattresses for the homeless.As an officer of the Saint Mary Schoolchapter of the National Junior HonorSociety (NJHS), I schedule and attendmany events at the nearby nursinghome, Bishop McCarthy. All NJHS

members playbingo with theresidents ofBishop McCarthynursing homeonce a month onSaturdays. Thiswas a uniqueexperience, and itmade me feel fulland satisfied. Imade people whomay not have hadmuch light in their life happy. It alsogave me true joy by doing the samefor others.

The other NJHS officers and I hand-ed out Christmas cards created by eachand every Saint Mary student duringthe Christmas school wide serviceproject at Bishop McCarthy to bright-en the residents’ Christmas.

All NJHS members also participatein homework club, a weekly programto tutor pupils in younger grades withtheir homework and studies everyweek.

Every student in seventh and eighthgrade has a buddy in either kinder-garten or first grade whom we mentor.The buddies meet one or two times amonth. Together, we complete holidaycrafts and read stories. Last year, when

I was in seventh grade, the seventh andeighth graders took a trip to a Catholicschool in Atlantic City for a day.There, we paired up with a child in theelementary grades for a day. We readbooks together, completed school workwith each other, and even ate lunchand had recess together. This was oneof my favorite experiences at St. MarySchool. I have tutored three of myclassmates in math, ssocial studies,and science during study hall and afterschool. I was given the gift of intelli-gence by God, and I want to share thatwith my schoolmates.

My Catholic school is a great envi-ronment for the success of children.Our teachers are so committed to theirministry, not just jobs.

In literature class, the eighth graderead an excerpt from ”The Diary ofAnne Frank.” Her family and she hadto stay silent and perfectly still fordays at a time. One day, when wecame into Mr. Harris’s classroom, wewere told to sit at our desks silentlyand very still for 20 minutes. This was

not an easy task. I enjoyed this experi-ence because I truly understood whatwe were learning, and it stimulated mybrain to realize what it was like forAnne Frank and the others in that attic.

In third grade, our class had TitanicDay, in which we dressed up likenotable passengers on that iconic shipand spent a day like them. Mrs.Myerson truly brought history to life onTitanic Day, and it was not only inform-ative, but it was fun. We have religionclass every day, and we attend Massthree times a month, which centers us.

I am immensely thankful for myCatholic education, and I will remem-ber how special it was. I was given adeluge of opportunities in Catholicschool to succeed, and I will never for-get them. I know my teachers on a cor-dial level, as well as the rest of thestaff. My Catholic education enrichedmy life, and I was taught how to usethe gifts of God in the world. AlthoughI will be leaving Saint Mary Schoolnext year, I will surely give back, for Ihave received the gift of a lifetime.

My Catholic education can neverbe taken away from me.

By Leah GallagherSaint Joseph High School,Hammonton

M any people have wonderedwhat the true value ofCatholic school is. I have

gone to Catholic school my whole life.I grew up within walking distance ofmy local public high school. So whenit came to high school, one might won-der why we chose to continue a distantCatholic high school over the localpublic school. To me, it was never aquestion.

People very close to me attendedpublic school. They loved it very muchand got excellent educations. Theywere close to their classmates and theirteachers. For happiness, morality andsuccess in life, never for a moment didI think it is a matter of the school astudent attends. It is simply thatCatholic school is what I have alwaysknown and enjoyed.

Throughout my Catholic schoolcareer, I have met many people thathave changed my life for the better.Some of my kindergarten classmatesare still my close friends to this day.When you are with the same groupof people every day for years —those who have the same faith and

moral values as you — you learn somuch about each other and aboutyourself.

There is a mutual respect betweenthe teachers and the students. I havealways strived to get along with myteachers. My teachers have alwaysmade my overall Catholic school expe-rience so much better. They are excel-lent at teaching and care deeply aboutit and their students and their faith.They have taught me not only what isin the curriculum, but about life,morality and Christianity.

My schools have all been veryfriendly and welcoming environments.The students generally get alongremarkably well. I believe that theCatholic teachings are a big part ofthat. Very few times have I witnessedany forms of bullying or fighting.

Many of my teachers in elementaryschool assigned the class group proj-ects. They set us up to teach ourselves

how to work together. They taught usthe morals, but we taught ourselves theskill of working together as a commu-nity.

Catholic school has never been easy,but the challenge is what is important.I learn from being challenged ratherthan having answers handed to me.Teachers make me think and genuinelycare about the topic at hand, whether itbe math, science or religion. We oftenhave class discussions and debates tohear different perspectives in subjectssuch as history and literature.

Every year since my confirmation ineighth grade, I have been assigned tocomplete a certain number of hours ofcommunity service. From this Ilearned the importance of responsibili-ty and teamwork. It also has shown mewhat it is like to give back. I havelearned to appreciate the life that Ihave and to not take my health andhappiness for granted. It is a strong

Christian value I will always carrywith me.

I will appreciate my time in Catholicschool for my entire life. I was giventhe tools to succeed both professionallyand spiritually. These are things thatwill help not only me but those towhom I pass them along. I thank myparents, teachers, faculty and friends —but, most of all, Our Lord — for givingme this life-enriching experience.

I learn from being challengedrather than having answers

handed to me.


LEAH GALLAGHER

Curriculum, plus life, morality and Christianity

TIMOTHYKUBIAK

Learning to use the gifts of God in the world

By Camryn LanzaSaint Joseph Regional ElementarySchool, Hammonton

Ihave the gift of a lifetime becauseI go to a Catholic school. Being ina Catholic school is most certainly

a gift, but it is a gift I learned to appre-ciate. I experienced something thatmade me appreciate this, and I ameager to share it with you.

It was the summer of third gradeyear entering fourth, my mom camehome at the end of the day, as usual,and gave me the option to be movedto a public school. She had alwayshesitated about putting me in a publicschool because up to this time, I hadspent my whole life in Catholicschool.

Looking back to fourth and fifthgrade, I now notice how I strayed fromGod. I didn't know of a single personthat had the same beliefs as I did, andwhen I stopped hearing about him Iforgot. I was not learning about myfaith, or how to make it stronger. Istopped doing the simplest things to

keep my bond with God strong, likesaying prayers before meals, or beforegoing to bed. After a while not doingthese things just became normal forme.

I admit that I had forgotten about myfaith. I felt like I wouldn’t fit inbecause I thought I was different forhaving beliefs in something so manyother people did not. It changed me, Ibecame bitter, and when things weren'tgoing too good I didn’t pray so God

could not hear me reaching out to himfor mercy.

I felt that God had forgotten aboutme, but really it was me that forgotabout him. I thought that everythingwould just come to me, like I didn'tneed to work for it, but it was stupid ofme to think that.

I don't think he punished me forbecoming distant, but I believe thatwhen I disconnected from him that mylife was turned upside down. Things

took an unexpected turn. When I lookback now, I think if I was closer toGod, it would have helped me dealwith certain situations better.

When my family and I decided itwas time to move me back to SaintJoseph Regional Elementary School,the Catholic school I had previouslyattended, the faith that I lost instantlybecame restored, I was surrounded byGod and felt that he had forgiven me. Iwas dedicated to rebuild the strongconnection I had had before.

This experience taught me a lesson— it taught me that my Catholic edu-cation is the gift of a lifetime becausewithout it I would be lost in a world offalse gods, and uncertainty. Being in aCatholic school, leaving and then re-entering, made me realize how diverseeveryone's perspective on religion real-ly is, and no matter what to never walkaway from what you believe in. I needGod in my life more than ever now,and I firmly believe that my faithwould never be as strong as it is in thismoment of my life if my parents didnot send me to a Catholic school.

I firmly believe that my faithwould never be as strong as it is

in this moment of my life if myparents did not send me to a

Catholic school.


By Alexandria Ciurlino Saint Vincent de Paul RegionalSchool, Mays Landing

I’m 14 years old, and I’ve attendedSaint Vincent de Paul RegionalSchool my whole life. When I was

little, I didn’t really know the differ-ence between my school and publicschools. I just knew that in my school,we said prayers together daily, cele-brated Mass monthly, and were taughtto treat people with kindness all thetime. I didn’t know prayers weren’tusually said in public schools. I alsohad no idea how many benefits myschool has, such as excellent academ-ics, various clubs and a friendly envi-ronment.

Here are some of the main reasonswhy my Catholic school education isthe gift of a lifetime for me.

First and foremost, my Catholicschool emphasizes the importance ofmy faith in my life. I’ve learned howimportant it is to act out my faith bypraying, attending Mass as a school,and doing volunteer projects, whichhelp us form bonds with each otherand with the community. Some of thetimes I volunteered were when myclass hosted a Thanksgiving dinner forsenior citizens last year, when I madesandwiches with Ms. Girard and thePB&J club for a rescue mission, andwhen I sang Christmas carols at nurs-ing homes in December with the selectchoir and our director, Ms. Teresa.

Another time I volunteered waswhen my class and I painted the fenceof the school’s next door neighbors,the Fosters, who were a sweet, oldercouple. It felt good to do somethingnice for them before Mrs. Foster unex-pectedly passed away recently.

In my little Catholic school, every-body knows everybody. We’re all likefamily because of how close we are

and how we can all depend on oneanother for support. We have a systemcalled prayer partners, in which eachPre-K 4 and kindergarten student isassigned a seventh or eighth graderwho will become their prayer partnerfor the year, look out for them, and dofun activities with them.

In my school, students feel lovedand accepted for who they are and

aren’t pressured to change who theyare to fit in. Being in a primarily bully-free environment prevents a lot ofstress and anxiety and helps studentsto learn in a more relaxed and motivat-ed way, allowing us to do our best atall times.

My school has high academic stan-dards. I think the things I’ve learnedover the years in this school have real-ly helped prepare me for high schooland the real world. We have challeng-ing assignments and projects, as wellas competitions such as spelling andgeography bees and science fairs. Wealso have various outlets for sports andthe arts. I have won the spelling beeseveral times, and I participate in thedrama club, select choir and studentcouncil, which allow me to use my tal-ents to cooperate with fellow studentsto help others.

Catholic school has really been a giftfor me thus far. When I was little, Iwas very shy and had a hard timemaking friends. Going to a Catholicschool at such a young age allowed meto meet people in a smaller, friendlierenvironment. I met amazing kids whoare still my best friends to this day.The biggest gift of Catholic educationfor me is probably the lasting bondsthat you make with people, whetherthey are fellow students, teachers, oradministrators. The people I have metover the years at this school will bewith me like handprints on my heartfor the rest of my life.

ALEXANDRIA CIURLINO

A friendly environment helps overcome shyness

A return to Catholic school, a return to faith


www.stpeterschool.org

51 W. Maple Avenue | Merchantville, NJ 08109

For more information call 665-5879 or [email protected]

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DAY OF SERVICE — GoodShepherd School, Collingswood,dedicated Jan. 12 as a day of serv-ice. Left, third grade students workon candy sachets and Valentine’sDay cards that will be delivered toCollingswood Manor, an assistedliving facility, by the eighth gradeduring their February visit.

Photo by Alan M. Dumoff

By Anthony CavoneGood Shepherd School, Collingswood

As an eighth grade student atGood Shepherd School, some-thing extraordinary happened

this year that has truly affected myfaith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ.It was the addition of a special classtaught by Msgr. Leonard Scott. Who isMsgr. Scott? Msgr. Scott is a retiredpriest that volunteers his time to teachme and my fellow eighth grade stu-dents at Good Shepherd School. EachTuesday, he comes to our school andteaches us about our faith, startingwith the Gospel from the previousSunday Mass. His classes haveinspired me in many ways.

Msgr. Scott’s classes have made memore faithful about going to church. Imake sure I go every Sunday and onholy days of obligation. Msgr. Scott’sclasses have also influenced me topay attention to the readings and thehomily during Mass. I am not onlyinspired to be prepared to participatein his classes, but I also read theGospel a number of times after Mass,trying to fully understand Jesus’ mes-sage.

Sometimes I find the Gospel diffi-cult to understand, but then Msgr.Scott breaks it down and explains it ina way that allows me to gain under-standing. Not only does he teach usabout the Gospel, Msgr. Scott teachesus about the Mass, holy days, feast

days and the Bible. When I wasyounger, I didn’t pay much attentionduring Mass, but now that I am olderand learning more about what is hap-pening during Mass — thanks toMsgr. Scott — I not only pay attentionduring Mass, but have a greater appre-ciation of why the celebration of Massis so important.

One of Msgr. Scott’s most memo-rable classes was when he told us thestory of how he found his vocation tobe a priest. I was amazed that heheard his calling and answered itwhile he was in eighth grade. It mademe think about what direction I amgoing to take with my life. I don’t yetknow what career or vocation I willchoose, but one thing I do know isthat I am going to stay committed tomy Catholic faith; something I willwork to strengthen each day. I alsoplan to learn more about my faith bycontinuing my Catholic school educa-tion throughout high school and col-lege.

Faith is the gift of a lifetime. Frommy Catholic school education, I havehad the benefit of learning about Godand how to practice my faith. Theclasses with Msgr. Scott tied all theyears of religion classes together withthe celebration of Mass and put every-thing into perspective. I consider hisclasses a true gift along with my entireCatholic school education. I realizethis is something that none of myfriends in public school will ever expe-

rience in their classrooms.This special gift of knowl-edge about my faith is some-thing that I will have for therest of my life. Although it isa sacrifice for my parents, Iam confident that I wouldnot have had such a uniqueopportunity to learn aboutGod and my faith in Himwere it not for a Catholicschool education. I wouldsay that my Catholic schooleducation is truly a gift of alifetime.

Gratitude for parents’ sacrifice and priest’s inspiration

Above, Msgr. Leonard G.Scott teaches religion to theeighth grade at GoodShepherd School,Collingswood, one day aweek. Right, AnthonyCavone with his kinder-garten buddy during theschool’s Living Rosary inOctober 2017.

By Michael AlvarezSaint Teresa Regional School,Runnemede

M y Catholic school educationis a gift of a lifetimebecause it helps me be the

best possible person I can be. Havingan Catholic education helps me be thebest person I can possibly be spiritual-ly, academically and athletically. Theteachers and staff care for each andevery student no matter the class size.Their main priority is to help the stu-dents to not only learn but to excel.

Having a Catholic education meansthe world to me. Having a Catholiceducation helped me in the real world.It taught me to be kind and courteousto others. I was brought into a lovingand compassionate environment which

we are taught to spread to others.Having a Catholic education meansbeing part of a family. Sure, we excelin academics and sports but there isone thing no other school has, our pas-sion. Our passion to do good, our pas-sion to succeed, our passion to excel.That’s why our school is different.Catholic education taught me that. Ittaught me we should never be content

with just ourselves, but we shouldalways strive to be better and better.Nobody’s perfect. There is alwaysroom for improvement.

At Saint Teresa the class size issmall. You might think of that as a badthing but it isn’t. Having a small classhelps us work together and developteam building and communicationskills. I have been working together

with the same people since kinder-garten. We’ve become somewhat of afamily. Even as more people joinedour family we were always kind, cour-teous and welcoming toward them.Our family has grown.

Catholic school education is truly agift. It helps us in the present and onthe gateway to our future. I trulybelieve it is the key to success. It isour first step toward the rest of ourlives. Without a Catholic school edu-cation, without the knowledge ofJesus, without good foundations ofacademics, without teamwork, withoutfamily, then I believe you will not suc-ceed. All human beings require aknowledge of the goodness of God.We must learn to work together. Thatis what I truly believe is the key tosuccess.

I was brought into a loving andcompassionate environment

which we are taught to spread to others.


SERVICE WITH A SMILE — Grace Smithwick, a sophomore atBishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken, makes sandwiches atSaint John of God Community Services, Westville, on Jan. 15, for its sec-ond annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.

By Angelica Rivera Saint Cecilia School, Pennsauken

A couple of years ago, I was ayoung girl in a non-Catholicschool. It was small but it felt

like a home. I was achieving goodgrades and was in an environment Ifelt I was thriving in. I really thought,“Nothing can get better than this.” Iended up graduating sixth grade withonly five other students and we allmoved on to Saint Cecilia’s, a CatholicK-8 elementary school.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expectfrom my new school. One thing I real-ly didn’t expect was that I was behindacademically compared to these stu-dents. Some of the concepts they men-tioned having previously learned Ihadn’t even heard of. Thankfully, Iwas able to catch up to my new class-mates quickly and continued to receivegood grades.

Suddenly it seemed to make somuch sense why everything seemedway too easy for me before. This is thelevel I should’ve been learning andwould’ve been learning had I gone tothe school sooner.

I am now in my eighth grade year atSaint Cecilia’s. I was welcomed inthis school community, and I havegrown academically and spiritually.My next chapter in life will be highschool. When accepting students,most high schools have holisticadmissions. They look for certainthings in prospective students, likegrades, test scores, involvement andservice. Many of my classmates were

involved in extracurriculars but I wasnot. Thankfully, I was cast in ourschool’s Christmas play. My oldschool didn’t have any sort ofextracurricular activities. Thereweren’t any sports teams or clubs andmost of us did not realize the kind ofnegative impact this could have in thefuture of our academic careers.Catholic school has so many opportu-nities I had never even dreamed of.

Equally important to these opportu-nities is the faith component of aCatholic school. I was pleasantly sur-prised by how deeply rooted in thefaith the school is. Saint Cecilia’s is soaccepting and willing to teach all stu-dents regardless of religious affiliation.I am so thankful that even with mylack of knowledge on the faith, I havebeen taught so I could understand andfollow along well.

In short, now about halfway throughmy eighth grade year, I know that I amready for whatever challenges mayface me on my journey to high school.Attending a Catholic school hasopened so many doors for me that Inever even knew existed. I am sograteful that I came to Saint Cecilia’sbecause if I hadn’t I really don’t knowwhere I would be right now. I feeltruly blessed to have received aCatholic education and look forward tocontinue it at a Catholic high school.Catholic schools provide their studentswith an exemplary education, amazingopportunities, and a great focus onreligious and moral values. Honestly,receiving a Catholic school educationtruly is the gift of a lifetime.

Finding faith and higheracademic expectations

A passion to do good, to succeed, to excel


St. Joseph Regional Elementary

133 North Third Street Hammonton, NJ 08037

By Gabriella Giegerich Camden Catholic High School,Cherry Hill

Growing up the oldest in a largeCatholic family, the thought ofmy Catholic school education

as a gift had never crossed my mind.Catholic school was all I had everknown. At 3 years old, I was enrolledin Saint Mary of Lakes School inMedford, New Jersey, where I spent 11years as a student. When I graduatedfrom eighth grade I came to Camden

Catholic. To me, Catholic school was alifestyle.

Now, as I look back on my 14 yearsand counting in Catholic school, I real-ize how much it has shaped and mold-ed me into the faith-filled person that Iam today.

My real contemplation of whatCatholic school has done for me didn’treally come into full view until veryrecently. My younger brother Rocco iscurrently an eighth grader at SaintMary of the Lakes. Two months agohe was being interviewed for a school

event. One of the questions was,“What does being a Saint Mary’s stu-dent mean to you?” Without hesitationhe responded, “This meansbeing a well-rounded, intel-ligent, young man who hasstrong morals he keeps atheart.” I was astonished thefirst time I heard this. Hehad hit the nail on the head.The statement was so pro-found and true. In that shortsentence he perfectlysummed it up. A Catholiceducation provides a strongfoundation for each child togrow and develop physically, mentally,emotionally and spiritually with Godas its core. It shapes the whole person.

One of the many reasons Catholiceducation is such a gift is the peoplewho work there. The teachers are notjust there to teach, but to form a rela-tionship and personal bond with eachstudent. They are teachers, mentors,friends, and even a shoulder to cry on.In my life this was especially true dur-ing my time in grade school when welost two students to rare forms of can-cer. As young kids we were scared andconfused. We couldn’t understand whythis would happen to two bright, inno-cent girls. The entire faculty and staff,

from the principal to the janitors,walked through each step of this diffi-cult time, all the while reminding us

that God was with us. At Camden Catholic the

teachers take a vested inter-est in preparing us for col-lege and our future.

From the time I was born,my parents have instilled theCatholic values in me andmy five younger siblings. AsI have gotten older, I havecome to see and betterunderstand what a huge sac-rifice they make so that my

siblings and I can have this gift. Theyrecognize that our Catholic educationgives us the skills not only to succeedin school, but in life.

Those who have fostered myCatholic education have instilled in mea strong faith, compassion for others,dedication, humility, confidence, astrong work ethic and kindness. Theseare values that I strive to live each day.This gift is one that challenges us, testsus, inspires us, molds us, and preparesus to serve others. It encourages us tobe the change we would like to see inthe world. I feel a Catholic educationis without a doubt among the greatestgifts a child can receive.


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Catholic school shapes the whole person

GABRIELLAGIEGERICH



Learn more about Georgian Court:our programs, our values, and our Catholic Mercy mission.

Attend an Open House atour historic Lakewood campus on Saturday, February 10, 9:30AM–2:00PM

Register at georgian.com/event/open-house

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Documents

AFL Web Quark 9.1 PDF export settings · 2020. 3. 31. · —Kindergarten students work at tables in Bishop Schad Regional Grammar School, Vineland, on Jan. 18. This year’s theme