Growing in Faith, Knowledge, and Community

Please enjoy an essay by 7th grader, Lane, who writes about her life and how she has grown in faith, knowledge, and community over her years here at Holy Spirit School. We are so proud of Lane and all of her classmates. We thank her parents for partnering with us as we nurture this wonderful young woman to continue serving God and others.

Blessings to all,

Sally Douthit, Principal

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Socrates had stated many years ago. At Holy Spirit School, our goal is to grow in faith, knowledge, and community. I have been at this school since I was six years old in kindergarten and I am currently 13 in the seventh grade. I have learned so much from all of my teachers over the years, not just in math equations and historic dates, but in ways that I will carry with me for my entire life. While attending Holy Spirit School, I have grown in faith, knowledge, and community.

The first pillar we strive to achieve at HSS is faith. For me, faith means learning about the Catholic religion and teaching it to the younger grades. Every Wednesday, the whole school attends church. At our school, we are paired with younger students to assist them at Mass. My buddy is five years old and is still learning the practices of the Catholic religion, so it is my job to guide them in the prayers, responses, and making the sign of the cross. I also take religion classes to learn about the stories of the Bible and how to interpret them. My teacher, Mrs. Terrizzano, generates the most creative projects about the life of Jesus and the Eucharistic miracles he is performing today. I have learned so much about the Catholic faith and, with the help of my teachers, will continue to grow in this pillar.

The second pillar that governs our school is knowledge. For me, academics is very important because I can relate what I learn to my everyday life to become a kinder, more analytical, and a

more eloquent person. My favorite subject is math, and with the help of Mrs. Figlia, I have grown in ways I didn’t think were possible. I first started to love math in fifth grade, when Mrs. Breen would make it so exciting for me to challenge myself and my newfound skills. Another subject that I have improved in is Social Studies. Mrs. Donoho not only teaches the class what happened in history, but why it happened. She teaches us how to identify the cause-and-effect relationship between events and the similarities between successful civilizations. Here at Holy Spirit School, the amazing teachers help us thrive in the academics’ pillar.

The last, but not the least, pillar is community. When I think of how I have grown in the community, my first thought is of the Girl Scout troop I have been in since I was six years old. We have raised money to donate to various causes that help the community. For example, a few years ago we donated to the Wild Beauty Foundation to save the mustangs in the wild who are being taken from their natural home and put in small pens with too many other horses. We raised awareness for this cause and donated money to support the foundation. Another act of service we have done in our community was to set up a pajama drive to give children in the homeless shelter warm sleepwear so they can be comfortable. We raised awareness and with the help of the HSS community, collected a lot of pjs to give to those who needed them. Overall, I have grown in the community pillar by working together with my Girl Scout troop.

At Holy Spirit School, I have changed in so many ways. With the help of the church, my teachers, and my community, I have become a better person. My school has laid the foundation for me to succeed in the years to come. In the long run, I have grown, and will continue to grow, in faith, knowledge, and community at HSS.