One of the most important days of the fall for Catholic schools is the day of Open House. At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School it is a celebration day. Each department plans a presentation that conveys information about course options and also gives a sense of the creativity of the department. This year there was a fantasy Spanish/French restaurant, games about events in history, and a gooey science experiment that resulted in a homemade version of play-doh. There were also club displays,a dance performance, and athletic presentations. What a busy and excciting night for our school and for the middle school students who came to check out the program.
This year our Open House was well attended and good spirited! The best part of the evening for me was the presence of so many of our current students. Students volunteerd to lead the tours, participate in the presentations, and mingle with visitors. This year our students did an exceptional job--They looked poised and in uniform, and they spoke with knowledge and affection about our school. I was so proud of them! They are really our best resource as well as the reason we work so hard to "deliver" on our promise of an excellent, Catholic education for each of them.
Many parents also spent the evening sharing the Carmel experience with visitors. They, too, spoke about the community spirit so evident at Mt. Carmel. As I looked out at the crowd, I was so grateful for the positive relationships shared by all of us in the Carmel family. What a wonderful place to learn--where the presence of every student is valued!
So, our Open House event was a busy, exciting, and exhausting evening. I think those who visited were impressed by our programs and our community. Share the good news--If you know a middle school student who wants a "quality education with a a personal touch" please send them our way!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Festival Weekend: Enthusiasm and Dedication
As many know, there is a weekend in October and a weekend in early May where a major transformation takes place at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. As parking spaces disappear, rides for young and younger as well as stands of cakes, games, and delicous food appear. The entire community--parish, elementary school, and high school--joins forces to create an "event." There are some parishioners (several who are still assisting) who have memories of festivals four decades ago! There are some families like the Heids, Donahues, Brotzmans, Copes/Bonner whose younger members are filling the big footprints of volunteerism set by their parents. The Festival is a strong, life-giving tradition!
For the past several years, the Friday night of the Festival has been designated as Alumni Night. On that evening between the beef stand and the beer stand, alumni gather to sign in, get their give-away mug and tee shirt, chat with former teachers and reunite with friends. It is a wonderful and growing gathering. This year the crowd was huge with alumni numbering between two and three hundred people. It was great to catch up, meet spouses, see new babies and hear of life changing accomplishments. There were two things that resonated to me--one was how successful most of our alumni are and the other was how genuinely happy they were to be "back" on campus. We heard from Chris who works for CNN and helped create the amazing map that Anderson Cooper and John King play with as they discuss politics. There is Nikki, always creative and talented, who is a graphic artist at NIH. There are several nurses, researchers, engineers, as well as plumbers, electicians and builders. The common themes they share are that they love what they do and that the first glimmerings of talents recognized, confidence built, and goals formulated began at Mt. Carmel. The Friday evening of the Fesival is one which makes me proud of our now grown-up kids!
I write this on Sunday as the Festival continues and I think of how many times blessed our community really is. Of course, there is the huge issue of good weather for the Festival weekend. It couldn't have been better this year. More importantly, there is the blessing of our people--the ones who love this community and are willing to share time and talent to build it, grow it, and preserve it. These, of course, are our most treasured blessings. The hundreds of peole who sell the food, bake the cakes, man the stands, and spread hospitality as they work are the real treasures. When I take a few minutes to think about this , I am grateful beyond words that I landed among such good people so many years ago and was smart enough to remain. Thanks be to God!
Now, off I go for one more beef sandwich! Happy Festival weekend!
For the past several years, the Friday night of the Festival has been designated as Alumni Night. On that evening between the beef stand and the beer stand, alumni gather to sign in, get their give-away mug and tee shirt, chat with former teachers and reunite with friends. It is a wonderful and growing gathering. This year the crowd was huge with alumni numbering between two and three hundred people. It was great to catch up, meet spouses, see new babies and hear of life changing accomplishments. There were two things that resonated to me--one was how successful most of our alumni are and the other was how genuinely happy they were to be "back" on campus. We heard from Chris who works for CNN and helped create the amazing map that Anderson Cooper and John King play with as they discuss politics. There is Nikki, always creative and talented, who is a graphic artist at NIH. There are several nurses, researchers, engineers, as well as plumbers, electicians and builders. The common themes they share are that they love what they do and that the first glimmerings of talents recognized, confidence built, and goals formulated began at Mt. Carmel. The Friday evening of the Fesival is one which makes me proud of our now grown-up kids!
I write this on Sunday as the Festival continues and I think of how many times blessed our community really is. Of course, there is the huge issue of good weather for the Festival weekend. It couldn't have been better this year. More importantly, there is the blessing of our people--the ones who love this community and are willing to share time and talent to build it, grow it, and preserve it. These, of course, are our most treasured blessings. The hundreds of peole who sell the food, bake the cakes, man the stands, and spread hospitality as they work are the real treasures. When I take a few minutes to think about this , I am grateful beyond words that I landed among such good people so many years ago and was smart enough to remain. Thanks be to God!
Now, off I go for one more beef sandwich! Happy Festival weekend!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Few Weeks of Ambivalence
This year I have the pleasure and the challenge of teaching junior English. "Ambivalent" was one of our recent vocabulary words and as we determined a definition, I recognized the past two weeks as ambivalence at its best!
Two weeks ago we learned of the passing of Linda Fannon who taught art (and life!) at Mt. Carmel for almost twenty years. As we prepared for her funeral, emotions ran high. As always at Carmel, it seems that the most difficult experiences bring out the best in us. So many teachers and staff helped prepare a Mass that I believe Linda would have loved. It was a tribute to her in every way. The music, under the direction of Dr. Jeff Bunn was powerful,and many alumni and current students sang. It could not have been more lovely. The readings described Linda as if the inspired Scripture author had her particularly in mind. Msgr. Bob's homily rang true. The celebration was a worthy send off!
As I sat in Mt. Carmel Church that day, I saw so many former students who came back to pay their respects and to say goodbye. At the viewing the day before, there was another outpouring of support. The presence of hundreds and hundreds of visitors, many of them alums, was a tribute to the love we have for Linda and the family. It was wonderful to see so many of you that graduated lately and many years ago. I was touched by your presence and so was the Fannon family. You did "good" during these sad days.
I started this by talking about ambivalence. Here it comes! Guess what else happended last weekend? You are right--Homecoming! On Friday night there was the traditional dance which was very well attended. Students looked grand as they danced the night away. Some things never change--Girls took off their shoes and yanked up their dresses while boys pulled down their ties. Fun was had by all and behavior,overall, was quite impressive!
The weekend continued with games all day Saturday. The morning hours were filled with volleyball contests and soccer games were played in the afternoon. The victories and defeats were mixed but the enthusaism was high all round. The weather held until the boys' varsity soccer game when the sky opened!
The new (and I hope first annual) event of the weekend was an Alumni Night. The plan was to begin outdoors and then move into the cafeteria for food and festivities during the evening. The rain made our move to the cafeteria earlier than planned! Old yearbooks were available and there were tours of the building as well as a DJ, food, and dancing. It was fun to watch people find themselves or friends in the yearbook and then burst into laughter. The times really have changed and so have styles!
Our very first graduating class, the Class of 1963, held their 50 th reunion at the Alumni Event. They had so much fun! They had stories about each other, their teachers, the building of the gym, and the rules they followed--or at least mostly followed. They also spoke of the deep friendships that were forged at Mt. Carmel High School, some that have lasted half a century. They spoke of the academic program and how prepared they felt to meet the challenges life had in store for them. They spoke of learning respect, self-discipline, and the importance of hard work. They also spoke of the inner strength that comes from having faith and applying it to all aspects of their life. They stated that, though they didn't appreciate it so much in their youth, the lessons taught at Mt. Carmel had provided them with a life time of values.
I know that the values of which they spoke remain priorities in our school today. Though the world is very different, some things remain true: faith is key to facing life's joys and challenges, success does not come without hard work, and discipline must come from within. It was a joy to meet the members of the Class of 1963! I hope that 50 years from now, our current students can share fond memories and such a positive testimony about their love for Carmel--even in these days of ambivalence!
Two weeks ago we learned of the passing of Linda Fannon who taught art (and life!) at Mt. Carmel for almost twenty years. As we prepared for her funeral, emotions ran high. As always at Carmel, it seems that the most difficult experiences bring out the best in us. So many teachers and staff helped prepare a Mass that I believe Linda would have loved. It was a tribute to her in every way. The music, under the direction of Dr. Jeff Bunn was powerful,and many alumni and current students sang. It could not have been more lovely. The readings described Linda as if the inspired Scripture author had her particularly in mind. Msgr. Bob's homily rang true. The celebration was a worthy send off!
As I sat in Mt. Carmel Church that day, I saw so many former students who came back to pay their respects and to say goodbye. At the viewing the day before, there was another outpouring of support. The presence of hundreds and hundreds of visitors, many of them alums, was a tribute to the love we have for Linda and the family. It was wonderful to see so many of you that graduated lately and many years ago. I was touched by your presence and so was the Fannon family. You did "good" during these sad days.
I started this by talking about ambivalence. Here it comes! Guess what else happended last weekend? You are right--Homecoming! On Friday night there was the traditional dance which was very well attended. Students looked grand as they danced the night away. Some things never change--Girls took off their shoes and yanked up their dresses while boys pulled down their ties. Fun was had by all and behavior,overall, was quite impressive!
The weekend continued with games all day Saturday. The morning hours were filled with volleyball contests and soccer games were played in the afternoon. The victories and defeats were mixed but the enthusaism was high all round. The weather held until the boys' varsity soccer game when the sky opened!
The new (and I hope first annual) event of the weekend was an Alumni Night. The plan was to begin outdoors and then move into the cafeteria for food and festivities during the evening. The rain made our move to the cafeteria earlier than planned! Old yearbooks were available and there were tours of the building as well as a DJ, food, and dancing. It was fun to watch people find themselves or friends in the yearbook and then burst into laughter. The times really have changed and so have styles!
Our very first graduating class, the Class of 1963, held their 50 th reunion at the Alumni Event. They had so much fun! They had stories about each other, their teachers, the building of the gym, and the rules they followed--or at least mostly followed. They also spoke of the deep friendships that were forged at Mt. Carmel High School, some that have lasted half a century. They spoke of the academic program and how prepared they felt to meet the challenges life had in store for them. They spoke of learning respect, self-discipline, and the importance of hard work. They also spoke of the inner strength that comes from having faith and applying it to all aspects of their life. They stated that, though they didn't appreciate it so much in their youth, the lessons taught at Mt. Carmel had provided them with a life time of values.
I know that the values of which they spoke remain priorities in our school today. Though the world is very different, some things remain true: faith is key to facing life's joys and challenges, success does not come without hard work, and discipline must come from within. It was a joy to meet the members of the Class of 1963! I hope that 50 years from now, our current students can share fond memories and such a positive testimony about their love for Carmel--even in these days of ambivalence!
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