Principal’s Letter

On Monday, we pause as a nation to honor the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the work he did, alongside countless others, to promote justice, human dignity, and equal rights for Black Americans during the pivotal Civil Rights Movement. We are living in uncertain and challenging times. On this MLK day, I encourage you to take Monday, not as a day off, but as a day on – as a time to lean into the tenets of our faith – to walk in solidarity with the marginalized in our communities. Take a look at this Parent Map article for a number of ways your family can get involved, and honor the legacy of those who fought before us.

In a recent letter to principals, superintendent Nicholas Ford reminded us that the job of Catholic schools is, “Not to prove that we are Catholic, but to allow the Catholic life of the Church to be visible in our schools: in how we pray, how we treat one another, how we accompany struggling families, how we support teachers, and how we speak about hope even in uncertain times. We witness by loving one another well.”

This is not news to us here at St. John; in fact, loving one another well is what we are known for. As principal, I am privileged to see this in action on a regular basis and next week at the State of the School presentations. We look forward to sharing the many ways this community works together to support the common good. This year’s mandatory State of the School presentations will be offered virtually on January 20 and, in person in Egan Hall on January 22. Both presentations begin at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you there. We would love to see you all in person; if you choose to attend remotely, we recommend tuning in on a device which allows you to watch the visual presentation.

We all have something this world needs, may we continue to witness by loving one another well.

Principal Mansfield