Back to school in an all new way

Are you the kind of person whose internal clock knows that it’s time to go back to school even though you are not a student. Does this cause you to treat yourself to school supplies for your home office? Or better yet, a new fall “back to school” outfit!

Happily, I am legitimately back to school as I am teaching a class this fall. I am also celebrating the opening of an exciting new Catholic school adventure in the archdiocese. St. Francis International School opened its doors this week. After beginning the day, the year and the new era in prayer, kids made their way to class. What makes St. Francis so special is that it celebrates the great gift that comes with the cultural diversity of our parishes and neighborhoods. St. Francis International was born from two parish schools—St. Mark in Hyattsville and St. Camillus in Silver Spring. Housed in the former St. Camillus school building, St. Francis “offers a Catholics, standard-based education with a global perspective that will equip students with a worldview and practical skills to fully and actively participate in a diverse world.” See my Catholic Standard.

Social Media at work

If school and Catholic school in particularly brings back good memories, I am  passing along an opportunity to support a really creative school initiative. From the world of a friend of a friend via Facebook, St. Pius X School in Lincoln, NE is trying to win $500,000 in a Facebook/Kohls contest. www.facebook.com/kohls and click on “Top Schools.”They need you to vote up to five times for St. Pius. I imagine you may find some other Catholic schools on the list, so hunt for your favorite and vote to support Catholic education. Having done that you can then head off to Kohls and pick up some new pencils and post-its!