Headwinds and heart

Reilly Hall was buzzing with energy and engagement; information, and conversation: questions and answers; ideas and passions.  No, it wasn't a school lunch period.  It was, perhaps surprisingly, a school night. And the energy was coming from grown-ups - our grown-ups:  the parents and teachers and staff members who build this school day by day and are invested intellectually, emotionally, and financially in its success.  Together, we took our first bold - and tentative - steps into the unwritten task of "Charting Our Future" in a rapidly changing landscape.

Thank you to the 71 parents and 26 teachers who joined hands and hearts and minds at our meeting last night to take those steps together.  They listened thoughtfully to an overview of the current facts and trends that are shaping our future and then engaged in a spirited process of surfacing values and visions that will launch a three-month strategic planning process to begin next month.

The world is changing; education is changing; and our school will need to change in some way to meet the headwinds we're facing.  The conversation about what form that change may take is just beginning.  If you weren't able to join us last night but would like to include your voice in future planning, watch for upcoming follow-up communication soon.

Together, we will continue to build a strong and sustainable school for the next generation of Catholics in Milwaukee's North Shore.

Private heart, public square

The heart of a nation comes out in an election (Gianna Jessen).  What will next week's election say about the heart of our nation?  Despite the challenges of the current political climate, we are called as Catholics to live our faith in the public square.  And we are called as a Catholic school to form our students to do the same.  How do we do that?

We teach our students about history and government, about our founding principles, about the electoral process.  We teach our older students about the party platforms and policy issues.  We teach them to be respectful of differing points of view while also teaching that God's law can never be compromised.

On Tuesday, we will give our students an opportunity to experience the responsibility of voting. They will sign in, go to a booth and place their votes privately on a Google survey form.  We will tabulate the votes by grade level electoral college-style to provide another layer of learning by experience.

And we will have some fun.  Tuesday will be an out-of-uniform day for all citizens of St. Robert School.  Students and teachers are invited to wear any combination of red, white, and blue - or to dress as a former or current president.

Thanks for supporting our mini experience of democracy in action - and for guiding your children to vote their conscience.