by Michael Morrisey
Growing up, my siblings and I were raised in a sports family.
We were taught at a very young age that if we were playing a game and the score
was being kept, the object was to win — or in other words, put a “w” on the board. Playing to have fun was important, but if we were keeping score, we needed to tally more than the opposing team. Why else would we be keeping score?
As I write, our current fiscal year is coming to a close. Our pastors, administrators and educators take a deep breath and reflect on the school year that just ended. Our parents and students take a summer break from school activities and are happy for the free time. (At least the students are happy for the time off.)
Whether we realize it or not, we all do a lot of “keeping score” during the school year. There are quizzes, pre-test, post-test, Rubric, Likert Scales, criteria reference testing, norm — based reference testing, etc. All of these are important, and as educators, we need to score well in all of these areas.
However, in my mind, the score that we need to “run up” is the understanding of the importance of a Catholic education! In our schools we have the ability to pray, talk about our faith and enjoy the ability to do so. In my travels this past year throughout the archdiocese it became very evident to me that we have team owners (parishes), general managers (pastors), managers (school principals), coaches (teachers), team office personnel (school support staff), fans (family) and players (students) that are in a “league of their own” because of their commitment to Catholic education.
If we have done our jobs with our students, and scored well with translating the importance of Catholic education during the school year, it will be reflected in all our students as they progress in their young daily lives. This is the most important score we can record as our children grow spiritually, academically and socially. We cannot win this game without dedicated personnel that are a part of a Catholic school because they want to be a part of a Catholic school. It is more than just a job. The passion to provide a Catholic education for our children is a win for our society today and tomorrow. Further, it assists in building a bigger foundation for the Catholic Church today and in years to come.
So I propose a “raucous ballpark wave” for our Pastors, administrators and educators for their commitment to our students and Catholic education.
Catholic education is truly a “w”!
