Dwarfism Awareness Month
On Wednesday, October 13th, our staff and students dressed in green to recognize Dwarfism Awareness Month. Students new to our school had the opportunity to hear from Max Platz and his mom, Dr. Michelle Platz, about dwarfism and learn about the different types of dwarfism while getting to know Max. They also learned about how to address little people and the modifications that need to be made by dwarfs in routine daily activities to make life easier. What stood out to me was Max’s comfort in his own skin. We can all learn from Max and be comfortable in our own skin and accept ourselves, as well as others. I think one of our kindergarten students summed it all up well by saying, “God made all of us different!”
Most Holy Rosary
October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. On October 7, we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in honor of the Blessed Mother. October was also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, urging them to “say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.” Sr. Donnalee said the rosary with some of our fifth-grade students.
Junior High Academic Electives
The Career Exploration Academic Elective this quarter gave students a chance to think about what career or jobs they might be interested in doing in the future through conversations, research, and listening to speakers who either visited our class or zoomed with us. Students were asked to interview family or friends and listen to speakers who explained their career path. Most of the career paths that were shared with us began with realizing something that each speaker enjoyed or found interesting as early as middle or high school. The class focused on listening to one another and thinking about asking questions that lead students to consider what they enjoy doing or are good at and what purpose that might play in leading them to a career that they will enjoy in the future. Angelo Preziuso says he enjoys learning about different career choices. Elsbeth Khula adds, “This elective gets me thinking about my future”.
Fun at Lionsgate!
Several of our junior high parents planned a fun-filled evening for our junior high students. The students enjoyed a DJ, multiple games, and fabulous food before heading down the hill for the NDCL football game. While the game ended up getting rained out, it didn’t damper the spirit of our seventh and eighth grade students.
Military History Speaker
We had a phenomenal speaker to end our first ever Military History course. We were blessed to welcome Mr. Jim Ripple; a current aviation professor at Kent State University and a former (just under 22 years of service) Air Force pilot in Combat Rescue. Mr. Ripple discussed the good and bad aspects of war and the military. He began by saying that the military offers multiple opportunities to serve one’s country, not all being active duty, but other jobs as well. He spoke sensitively about the tragedies of war, noting that war and the military is more than “shooting and flying planes”. Mr. Ripple said that the military is a place where you enter hoping to help others, noting that it is like the Christian faith’s act of selflessness. Lastly, Mr. Ripple mentioned what faith meant to him both during and after his multiple deployments, citing his favorite Bible verse, John15:13. Thank you Mr. Ripple for your service and commitment to educating young minds.
