In the heart of St. Joseph Catholic School, this month's virtue of the month takes center stage, and it's one that resonates deeply with our fifth core value, Pursue Greatness. But, before I get to December’s virtue, I want to make sure to share a little about our Virtue of the Month awards.
During the 2022-23 school year, our staff worked very hard to identify the cornerstones of our school. We drafted, revised and signed off on the specifics of our school in a set of core values. They are descriptions of who we are, how we treat one another and how we exemplify our faith through our work.
Each of our core values has three virtues associated with them that help to tell the story of the core value and also drive us to understand how to fulfill the promise held within the core value itself.
It’s important to me that our school’s core values are not just pretty posters on the wall or things that we talk about in passing. They need to be real and tangible and something we can put into action.
Making our way through the core values, we study one core value each month of the school year. In August, we studied the virtue of stewardship, in September, we learned about prudence, in October, we reviewed responsibility and in November, we studied friendship. But, in order to make them come to life, we needed to find a way to call attention to them.
Thus came the launch of our Virtue of the Month awards. This initiative allows students and teachers to nominate individuals who exemplify our monthly virtues in their daily lives.
We started the recognition last month in November when we celebrated the virtue of friendship. Students and staff had the opportunity to recognize another student or staff member who displayed the qualities we associate with the virtue of friendship:
We had over 40 responses from students recognizing other students and staff, not to mention the 30 responses from staff recognizing their students and other staff members. The descriptions of what their peers did to embody friendship included:
Now, we look forward to how the virtue of fortitude will be recognized within our school in December as it resonates through the personal narratives shared by our students and teachers, forming the backbone of our collective pursuit of greatness. Fortitude, the embodiment of strength in the face of adversity, is not just a virtue for us; it's a way of life.
At SJCS, fortitude is a guiding force that propels our students and staff forward in the pursuit of greatness. We recognize that greatness is not achieved without pushing through discomfort and fear. It's about persevering when the journey becomes arduous and not giving up, for we possess an inner strength of character and spirit that enables us to overcome. This virtue is woven into the fabric of SJCS, shaping us into a community that faces challenges with unwavering courage.
As we navigate challenges, both old and new, these narratives collectively contribute to the rich narrative of fortitude that defines our school and the culture we strive to create. Each story, a testament to the values we hold dear, exemplifies our commitment to pursuing greatness in all aspects of our shared journey.
Do you know anyone who has these qualities of fortitude? How can you celebrate this virtue with them this month?
God bless & Go Eagles!
-Mrs. Mishler