Dear SMA Community,
I hope, like me, you exercised your right to vote this past Tuesday in the presidential election. It was a historic one, yet I feel our country remains in great need of peace and healing. Regardless of how each of us may feel about the outcome, we should be confident and assured that our school community stands united in our mission and values.
Our Catholic Christian faith calls us to be instruments of peace, seeking understanding and compassion even in moments of uncertainty or division. As a school family, we continue to pray for our leaders, our country, and each other. Our role as educators and parents is to model hope, empathy, and respect, teaching our children to be thoughtful, loving, and resilient individuals.
On Wednesday morning, I spoke directly to all students on the senior yard after morning prayer and announcements. I spoke specifically about respect, referring to the respect pledge we make every morning as school begins. In that pledge, we acknowledge that each of us is different; each of us has our personal likes and dislikes. We are taught to respect these differences, acknowledging that each of us is a child of God and recognizing Jesus Christ in our classmates and in our staff. Further, there are conversations regarding personal preferences (such as those involving politics) that should be had at home around the dining room table, yet would not be appropriate at school given the high level of emotion and sensitivity they entail. I challenged each student to mean the words they say in our respect pledge every morning–to not let these words fall flat and become meaningless. I ended this short conversation with all of us standing up, raising our right hand, and reciting the respect pledge together in a deliberate manner, focusing on what we were saying.
So let us move forward together, rooted in faith and confident in God’s guidance. May we continue to work together to sustain a school community where all feel safe, respected, and empowered to make a positive difference in our world.
Tomorrow (Friday, November 8th), we will honor our military veterans (both living and deceased) during our Veterans Day Assembly and Prayer Service, which begins at 8:15 am in the Parish Hall. Students may wear red/white/blue or military-themed add-ons to their Mass uniform in honor of our veterans. Please plan to join us on Friday morning!
Of note, there is a Veterans Memorial Display in the Hall honoring veterans from our school families. This display will be viewable by all after our Veterans Day Assembly, and it will remain in place through next Wednesday, November 13th (just come to the school office for access to the Parish Hall during the school day).
A reminder for all families that Monday, November 11th (Veterans Day), is a school holiday. Additionally, there is NO CUB CARE after school on Friday, November 8th. Please plan accordingly.
Thank you for entrusting Stella Maris Academy with your children’s education.
With blessings and gratitude,
Jamie Brandt
Principal