Catholic Schools Week

Our celebration of Catholic Schools Week was interrupted by two surprise days off due to sub-degree temperatures. Well, it wasn’t really a surprise; this winter has been extremely cold and we’ve had one snowstorm after another. And I wasn’t disappointed either; I have always liked normal teaching days better than special occasions. I feel more like a babysitter than a teacher when I’m trying to control 30 excited children.

We were out on Tuesday and Wednesday, so when we got back on Thursday we made a great effort to salvage most of the activities that we had planned. Some shifting of the schedule accomplished this, though we did have to drop a few, more minor items. I think we kept the spirit of Catholic Schools Week, though.

Now we’re on our mid-winter break. There were two days off that were already on the school calendar, around President’s Day Weekend. I liked the days off; I slept in, relaxed, read, and did some writing. I burned through the stack of gift cards that I received for Christmas. As a teacher, though, I can’t help but feel that all these days off make it hard to teach well, which I find personally frustrating. As they say, you can’t control the weather, and besides, we don’t have any days off scheduled for March. It’s common for teachers to wish for snow days, but I’m looking forward to some quality time in school!

I am on the Vocations Committee at the parish, and my role is to liaise with the school as part of our effort to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. (Doesn’t liaison look funny as a verb?) We have printed up posters that show the pictures of one seminarian and one sister who is in temporary vows. There is a prayer on it, too, which the classrooms are encouraged to pray together. They also have been writing letters and making cards for those who are in formation to be sisters and priests. The photo is of a class with it’s poster.