A Message from the Principal

Our high school yearbook advisor asked me to share my thoughts on this school year for a “blurb” in the yearbook. I wanted to share what I wrote to the St. Patrick High School students who were here for the 2019-20 school year.

As we started the 2019-20 school year, I reflected on all that had happened throughout the previous school year. We had 16 snow days, a flood, a gas leak, and a power outage day. We had missed so many days of school that year that the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Grand Rapids required us to make up some of those days. I thought to myself, there is no way possible that we can have a crazier school year than the previous one.

Throughout the winter months, we only had one snow day and one two-hour delay. I could not help but think as spring neared that wow, this has really been a tame year with very little adversary. Little did I know what was about to hit. Within one week of having that thought, the governor of our great state issued an Executive Order forcing us to close school for three weeks which ended up leading to closing school for the remainder of the year.

I was amazed at the ease at which our high school staff and our students, working together with the support of our parents so easily transitioned to distance learning. It made me realize what a blessing we have here at St. Patrick School with such great students, teachers, and our school families.

Throughout the shutdown, I came into my office and worked each day. It was easy at first but became more difficult each day as I missed seeing the students in the building. I missed greeting them at the doorway each morning, seeing and talking to them in the hallways and around the school, stopping into the classrooms to see what they were learning, and going to watch them participate in extracurricular activities. I especially missed participating in those annual rites of passage for our senior class as their high school careers come to a successful completion.

Unfortunately, over my 12 years serving as administrator at St. Patrick School, I have come to take all the blessings we have here for granted. The opportunity to work with our students, to work with our school and parish staff, the opportunity we have to pray each day and attend Mass each week. Finally, the wonderful support we have from our school families and our parish community. We have countless blessings to be thankful for and we should always be mindful of them and all that we have.

I look forward to the day that all will return to normal and the teachers and students will once again fill our hallways with laughter, joy, excitement, and an eagerness to see friends, and learn new lessons. I hope and pray for the Class of 2020 as they move on with their lives and begin anew this journey we call life. Thank you to all of our high school students for being the great individuals you are. Thank you, Class of 2020, for great high school careers and for your great leadership.

Tough times don’t last but tough people do. Keep the faith that better days are ahead. We will persevere. We are Shamrocks!