Good morning.... I started attending St. Paul in 4th grade, and it has forever changed my life. St. Paul offers so much to help prepare its students for the world. I would like to talk to you this morning about how my St. Paul experience has helped shape me as a person.
 
First, and most importantly, my faith in God. When I first arrived here, I did not know where I stood with God. Only after I attended a few religion classes and weekly mass with my classmates did I really begin to explore my relationship with God. I finally knew what God wanted for me. He wanted me to be his child of faith and always trust and believe in him. A few months into my first year at St. Paul, I decided that I wanted to profess my faith to God and to the Catholic Church, and to receive my First Holy Communion. Since that time, attending and participating in the mass has become a constant part of my life. Not only do I attend Mass at least twice per week during school, I also choose to attend Mass every Sunday and have been an altar server for the past four years. I have enjoyed my experience so much as an Altar Server that I now serve as Master of Ceremonies at Mass on Holy Days of Obligation. St. Paul has presented me with these opportunities and the priests and teachers at this school have inspired me to want to become more involved in the church and constantly find ways to serve God.
 
St. Paul also has the best staff and teachers. Every staff member is so kind and caring. They always push students to be the best they can be. They encourage students to try new things and make friends. The faculty and staff have made the school feel like a second home to me.
 
St. Paul’s academic curriculum is also amazing. I am challenged every day by teachers who encourage us to ask questions and to apply critical thinking skills. They also find ways to apply the teachings of God throughout the day in each of our subjects. Service is also a part of the curriculum. The school emphasizes the importance of evangelical charity and the students really enjoy the opportunity to participate in service projects as a class. The school also has a buddy system where a younger student is paired with an older student, which creates great opportunities for mentorship between the younger and older grades. The buddy system gives the school a feeling that everyone, from Pre-K to 8th grade, is part of a big family, which makes it a very special place to be.
 
St. Paul also offers many extracurricular activities for the students. Personally, I have been involved in many of them. These include baseball, basketball, the school choir, and the school musicals. Each one of these experiences has helped me develop friendships and explore new and different talents that I never knew I had. Even outside of the classroom, St. Paul offers something for everybody.
 
As I look ahead to high school next year, I think of all the ways in which St. Paul School has prepared me for this next stage of my life. Not only has St. Paul prepared me academically, it has also prepared me spiritually. St. Paul has given me a space where I have been able to really think about how important God is in my life and to immerse myself in that relationship. My experience at St. Paul has made me realize how important it is for me to stay close to my faith during my high school career and beyond. As the result of my education here at St. Paul, I have felt a great sense of confidence during the high school application process. I feel like St. Paul has given me the tools to succeed in every area of my life.
 
St. Paul has made an indelible mark on my life and I will be forever grateful for my time here. I know your family will feel the same way.
 
Thank you.


 

Good evening everyone. ... Over the years, I have experienced the kindness and understanding that my classmates and teachers have shown me. I have been further enriched with the opportunity to have religion class every day to learn about God and to go to Mass two times a week, both of which have placed an indelible mark on my life.
 
However, it was not always this way. There was a time when I was a naive five-year-old in kindergarten, who was not used to seeing many children as I am an only child, but I have since made many friends and have appreciated their impact they have made in my life. That is what I like so much about this school: our close community of people who have always helped each other when times get tough. An example of this was when my father passed away in 2019, and everyone comforted my family and I with condolences and expressions of support.
 
I have appreciated all of the academic opportunities that I have been able to make the most of, like being able to enter the advanced math class, taught by just one of our many excellent teachers. Thanks to Mrs. Winchester, she has enhanced my knowledge on the subject of math, which is necessary for high school.
 
At St. Paul, I have also truly enjoyed all of the extracurricular activities I have participated in. Two such activities are forensics, as in public speaking and the school musicals. I -have been in forensics now for three years, where I have entertained crowds and judges with my pieces and have made valuable friends along the way. This is the exact same experience with the annual school musicals, which include Aladdin Jr. and High School Musical Jr. I encourage you to please come see our talent firsthand in this year's musical, Grease Jr., in April.
 
There are many other programs at St. Paul, but one of my personal favorites is TAP. This is a middle school only program where sixth through eighth graders are grouped together into many separate groups that are each run by one TAP leader. From here, students take part in countless activities from service projects to a tournament-like sports competition at the end of the year. I have also enjoyed all of the field trips I have gone on from Tree Runner in sixth grade to Camp Tamarack in seventh grade and to Washington D.C. in eighth grade.
 
As I look forward to the next step in my faith journey, Confirmation, and decide what high school I am going to next year, I reminisce and appreciate all of my teachers I have currently and in the past. I also appreciate all of the priests I have had over the years, who have taught us about the Catholic faith through their homilies, and through their talks with us during the school day. Finally, I appreciate the best and most caring principal, Mrs. Forysthe. Thank you for a wonderful faith-based education. I hope you visit St. Paul at Open House and see all of the awesome aspects this school has to offer. Thank you.