From the Mouths of Babes

In the Church Meeting Room, in the the same hall where I played Human Water Fountain three weeks before, I was in line with about 100 parents and their Pre-K"ers" for their Thanksgiving Potluck. Lots of really good Thanksgiving style food awaited us.

The Principal and I were talking and I feel this tug on my shoulder. I turned around to see a Pre-K"er" sibling being held by a man standing behind us. I said, "Hi."

She cut to the chase. No small talk. From the mouths of babes she says, "My Papa has a belly almost as big as yours."

Thanks kid. Can't wait to have you in school next year. All I could muster out was, "That's really neat."

What? That's really neat? That's all I could come back with? I had met my match. My wit was no match for her honesty.

I smiled at her Papa, whom I assume was the one holding her. The Principal was cracking up.

"I have write that one down," I said to The Principal. "Something I can tell my fellow Losers (partners in our staff's Biggest Losers weight reduction and denial group).

We finally made our way through the buffet. The raw broccoli, carrots and 1/2 piece of ham were delicious.

Just kidding - I ate all the bad stuff. After all, I have a reputation to maintain.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Water Fountain Baptism

I was at Mass with the elementary students on Friday morning at 8:10 am. During the homily, I went to the bathrooms to check on a third grader who had left Mass five minutes prior. As I approached the bathrooms, I noticed that one of the water fountains was on and shooting water over the edge onto the floor. The floor was flooded. I checked on the third grader and check to see if the water nozzle tot he fountain was in the boys' bathroom. Nope. Not in the girls' either.

As I was looking for a cup to catch and redistribute the water back into the fountain, I called over to the school and asked our registrar to find our maintenance man and send him over. She said OK and I walked back over to the fountain. After testing many different positions, and after soaking my entire left shirt and sweater sleeve, I managed to angle the cup in such a way that I was a perfect aesthetic addition to the water fountain. And I waited until the maintenance man came.

And waited. And waited. After ten minutes, I called back and was informed that the principal had the maintenance man setting up a VCR for the assembly. I reiterated to our registrar the situation I was in and also requested that she ask our custodian to come over and mop up the water. I hung up and pondered the authority of my assistant principal position as it related to the redistribution of maintenance personnel in the building. And waited. For another ten minutes.

Just as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket with my dry hand, the maintenance man arrived and assessed the situation. After he finished laughing, He checked for the water valve. He looked in the bathrooms. He looked in the maintenance room. He looked outside. He reported back that he found every other valve, to every other water source, but not the one to the water fountains. So, he decided to take the panels off and see what he could do to the fountain itself. Once the panels were off, it was clear he didn't bring enough tools. He was sorry, but he had to go back to the school. That was OK, I said. Mass was just about over and I would have plenty of people to keep me company until he returned.

The first to greet me was our night security man who attends daily Mass as an alter server. His concern at seeing me becoming a permanent fixture in the church's hallway was soon overcome by the sheer comedy of my duty to stay in place as he took my picture with his phone. Twice. "You need anything?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I replied. The maintenance man was returning. "I did call up to the school to get our custodian down here to mop up the water, though."

"No need," he said. "The church's custodian is here. I'll ask her to mop it up."

"By the way," he continued, "this is my wife." He told her, "That is Mr. Norton, the new Assistant Principal."

"Nice to meet you," I said, "I'd shake your hand, but...."

"Nice to meet you, too," she replied.

They left after I asked him to email me the photo. I had the pleasure of meeting several other elderly parishioners as they filed out of Mass and into the bathrooms. Many complimented me on my lector skills from weeks before. Many complimented me on my attire. A few told me how pleased they were I was at the school this year. All wanted to shake my dry hand.

"Watch you step! The floor is wet!" I warned each of them as they walked on the water of Lake Norton to reach the bathrooms.

With each flush in the bathrooms, the water pressure of the water fountain changed. I soon became an unaware participant in the wet game of Catch the Cold Drinking Water in Your Sleeve for the next five minutes.

They were soon replaced my the church's custodian who carefully mopped Lake Norton as I clumsily danced around the fountain in what had to look like a pathetic pirouette, my left hand fixed in place to catch the water. BY now, the children were back in school and I was wondering if I was missed.

The maintenance man returned with his special tools and continued to disassemble the water fountain. He contorted himself into angles I thought were impossible to achieve by a man of his age, even finding himself on top of the wet mop the church custodian carefully placed in between the two water fountains for its future use. After he put his hand into the fan, unplugged the fan, and dug deeper into the machinery, he stepped back and said, "I've worked on alot of things..."

"No valve, huh?"

"There HAS to be," he said.

Just then, as if inspired by St. Anthony himself, he reached into the fountain and behind the gizmo and next to the thingamajig was a small handle he hadn't seen. With his bloody hand (just a few cuts from the fan) he strenuously turned the valve off and the water stopped flowing.

After I said a short thank-you prayer to St. Anthony and thanked the maintenance man for allowing me to share in this adventure, I walked back to the school.

As I walked in the rain, I chuckled to myself at how God expanded my job description that morning and how it didn't really matter how wet my sleeve was from the fountain - the rest of me was just as wet when I got back to the school at 9:30. I was baptised into my new position as Assistant Principal.

To Remain Open, Catholic Schools Become Charters : NPR

To Remain Open, Catholic Schools Become Charters : NPR

What a shame. All the things that made these schools Catholic are gone. What's left and what proponents say is important are the qualities we should see in all schools - not just Catholic converted schools.

We need to continue to pray for the continuation and success and increased enrollment of our Catholic schools around the world.

Principally Catholic Podcast - Episode #1

Well, I did it. The first episode of the Principally Catholic Podcast is officially open to everyone. It is a very boring episode, and I have already gotten some feedback on it. I am using Audacity to put it together, but I'm not finding that really friendly to use.

Future episodes will consist of "classes" or segments, that reflect the course of a regular school day. For instance, in Language Arts I may do a "book report" on something I've been reading about Catholic schools. Social Studies might look at the history of the Catholic School in the United States, or world. In the Religion class I might talk about the Catechism, etc.

If you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment.

Pax -

Catholic Schools Week 2009 Theme Highlights the Duty and Delight of Giving Back

From the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA):

As students head back to classrooms in Catholic schools and parish religious education programs around the country, they are being invited to "Celebrate Service" by volunteering in the community or parish. The theme for Catholic Schools Week 2009, “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service,” is setting the tone for the entire year, with posters, prayer services and rallies helping to introduce the theme.

Catholicism has a long and rich tradition of direct service to those in need, as well as social justice efforts to end social ills like racism and gender inequality. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy focus on things that each individual believer can do to help others, like feeding the hungry and instructing the ignorant. The Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching focus on solving long-term, systemic problems in society, like homelessness, poverty and violence.

NCEA has resources to help every Catholic school “celebrate service.” Press releases, prayer services, bookmarks, marketing kits, and catalog items can be found on our Catholic Schools Week Web page: /news/CatholicSchoolsWeek.asp

"In the Business of Making Saints"

I have a new job. Actually, it's the same job but in a different place. To be more specifically vague, I have a new employer, at a different school, with similar respopnsibilities but a different focus.

Last week, school started at the Catholic school where I am the new assistant principal. It has been the best three first days of school since I started teaching. There were a number of reasons why, I think.

1. The staff was energized and well-prepared to go back to school.We went to Mass on Wednesday (first day of school) and Friday (The Feast of the Assumption)
2. I have a new focus on why I am an administrator.

Obviously I am there to help "run the school." But let's face it, a good school is run by the teachers and front office staff. I am kicking myself for not starting our in the Catholic school system. I'd have fewer grey hairs if I had.

But I think the real reason I, and the staff and the parents are there (or here on Earth for that matter) is to make these children saints.

In his homily on Friday, Father Joe reminded the children of that fact. God wants us, anyone involved with children, to be "in the business of making saints." How simple and concise. But, how do we do that?

Set The Example

Unless we are trying to become saints ourselves, how can we ask our children to do so?

• Do you know your faith?
• Have you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church and understand it?
• Do you break open the Word of God every day?
• Do you pray by yourself AND with your family?

If you answered anything but YES to any of the above, you are not trying to become a saint.

Teach Them

Parents are the primary teachers of their children. A solid Catholic education is essential in making a saint. They can receive that from a Catholic school or CCD classes. But in addition, it MUST be taught at home. What should be taught?

The FOUR "R's":

• Reading - We all know how important this is! Read with them, especially Scipture.
• WRiting - Have them write letters instead of email or instant messaging once in awhile. Patience is a virtue.
• ARithmatic - There are different ways of teaching Math, just like there are different ways of learning Math. Understand how your children learn and are being taught.
• Religion - What can you teach them about their faith? Educate yourself. Attend Adult Catechesis classes. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Know your faith.

We are all in the business of making saints.

What an AWSOME job.

Cross-Posted at My Catholic Reflections

How it all began....

It was May of 1981. One of the last days of school in my 8th grade year. Sister Elaine Marie was was giving the class their end of the year awards. The last pin, the Leadership award, was about to be given out. I really do not recall if I had received any awards up to this point, and I didn't expect to receive this one. After all, everyone knew Brian was the leader of out 8th grade class of 10. But she called my name instead. I was very surprised. And confused. Brian was the leader, I was second banana.

I still have that pin. I often pull it out of the container where I keep all my pins and tie clips just to remind myself of my obligation.

I have tried over the last 27 years to nurture my leadership potential. I eventually became a husband, a father, a teacher, then a principal. My professional niche was working with the at risk kids no one else wanted to have in their classes. I did that for ten years. Then I felt a call.

They say that education is a vocation. You feel called to it. Well if that is true, then Catholic education is a ministry. Obviously, any work we do to help proclaim the Gospel to others is a ministry. It can be as a parent, as a priest, a Pope, or a lunchlady in a Catholic school. Mine happens to be as an Assistant Principal of a 450+ student PK-8 school in Kentucky.

I am a product of Catholic education up to through the 8th grade. I never would have guessed or thought I would end up in a Catholic school as an educator. My rationale has always been the standard, "They don't make enough," or "The retirement and health insurance stinks." Well, last month I realized that it's not about the money (it never is) or the insurance, or the retirement.

I have been in education for 14 years. The last four as a principal. The last 13 in public schoools. This year I took the leap to become an Assistant Principal of a Catholic school. Whay didn't I do this before?

My hope with this blog (an an aoompanying podcast I hope) is to give you a perspective of American Catholic Education through various "segments" or areas. Bear with me. I'll be learning as you will, I hope.

God Bless,

Darren