I’m so lucky that every day I get to come to school with a smile on my face. I get to grow in my faith with God and Jesus. I couldn’t imagine going to another school where I couldn’t learn about my religion.
At St. Jude we don’t just go to school as friends; we go as a family. Every Wednesday we go to church and sing to God as one huge family. We gathered in our school gym and prayed to God on St. Jude’s feast day. The teachers always help students who are having trouble with their school work. All of the teachers are great.
As one happy sixth-grade class, we do many things together. We pray together and play games. We have each other’s backs, and we always have words of encouragement for those who aren’t having a good day.
I’ve been going to St. Jude for seven years, and I’ve been able to learn so much. I thank my parents every day for sending me to the best Catholic school ever!
By Lauren Sulit, sixth-grader
Going to a Catholic school is a great and rewarding opportunity for students and teachers. It creates a safe and happy environment to learn about Jesus. Knowing about Jesus can help students to become kinder, more forgiving, and it helps them to center God in their everyday lives. Catholic schools shape kids into an example of love in Jesus’ image.
The whole school gets an opportunity to go to Mass to learn about Jesus and receive the Eucharist. He sacrificed his life for us so that we could live a happy life and go to heaven.
We have a program called Putting Others First, which helps to encourage every student to become a disciple of Jesus through service.
We are fortunate to have religion class. We learn that Jesus gave so much for us, and we also hear about stories that show how we should be faithful to God.
Catholic schools help enhance students’ minds to stay focused on God. Going to a Catholic school has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. God is the center of life, and all students can realize this in a Catholic school.
By Hadyn Ball, sixth-grader
Going to a Catholic school makes me feel privileged. Even though my brother, sisters and I have to work really hard, it is worth it. Going to a Catholic school is like training hard to be an athlete. To be an athlete you have to put forth lots of effort to reach your goal.
With all of the work that is put forth, there are benefits, which include a good education about our religion.
Because students go to school together and share a common faith and religion, the community (my friends) is much closer than it is in other schools. Since my friends go to the same parish as me, my mom and dad are friends with their parents.
We have the opportunity to pray the rosary together, play sports with our school friends and other good things, such as caroling and helping out at St. Vincent de Paul.
My school is doing more than just preparing me for a job. It is preparing me for my entire life.
By Jackson Koehler, seventh-grader
There are lots of things that make Catholic schools really special. Whenever you come to school everyone is smiling. Everyone is helping each other and being respectful. When I walk through those doors every morning at 7:30 I see my family. At St. Jude we are all family, and that’s what make Catholic schools special.
We practice our faith openly every day. We pray in the morning, before lunch and at the end of the day. We go to Mass every Wednesday to talk to God and receive the Eucharist.
We have a program called Faith in Action. We are taught to follow the golden rule, to be respectful to other people and put others first. Every week a classroom does something nice for someone else in need. We donate money to charities, and we make cards for people in nursing homes and in hospitals. We really put our faith into action.
This is what makes Catholic schools so special.
By Grace Vavra, eighth-grader
When people ask you what you learn in school, you usually say math, science, English, social studies and literature. But that’s just an above-the-surface answer if you go to a Catholic school.
If you are fortunate enough to go to a Catholic school, you get to say things like, “I get to learn about my faith and how Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins.” I used to go to a public school, but attending a safe, inclusive, judgement-free school has changed my life.
I came to St. Jude when I was in fourth grade, and the amount of support I felt when walking in for the first time was absolutely unreal. They accepted me with open arms and all the love they had to offer. While I could go on forever talking about all the perks of St. Jude, I think the best thing about this blue ribbon school is that everyday we get to learn about our religion.
I feel lucky to have had such an amazing middle school experience. St. Jude has been nothing but wonderful to me. I have made amazing friends, made amazing memories and learned amazing things. I couldn’t be more thankful.
By Lucy Houser, eighth-grader
Education is a daily part of our lives. Everyone learns something every day even if they aren’t still in school. At St. Jude we learn about our beliefs and our faith.
What I love the most about Catholic education is the fact that we can bring our faith into every class at all times of the day. Many classes even have prayer or a type of religious reflection, which can bring us closer to God.
Because I go to a Catholic school I am surrounded by positivity and people who push me to be a better person. Each Thursday in literature my teacher shows a video that gets us thinking about the world and what we can do to solve our problems.
My teacher thought of a way for the whole junior high to strive to be the best person they can be by giving her students points when they do something good and taking away points when they do something bad.
Catholic education is a main part of my life, and I wouldn’t be the same person without it.