A Fresh Start: New academic year embraced by Diocese’s Catholic school students, teachers
September 16, 2024 at 12:02 p.m.
The familiar anticipation of the first day of school captures students and teachers alike. Just-out-of-the-package school supplies, new staff and classes and a bit of apprehension all jumble together as students jostle through the hallways and teachers try to learn students’ names.
It’s all part of the excitement, and Catholic schools of the Diocese of Trenton work to harness that energy and align it toward a faith-filled experience. Having teachers and administrators who bring faith into the classroom addresses students’ growing understanding of who they are spiritually and where that fits in the experience of being Catholic.
The Monitor covered two of the schools with early start dates – Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 – asking students and staff to reflect on the academic year ahead.
“What I enjoy most … is the sense of renewed purpose and spiritual growth that accompanies the start of the new school year,” said Donna White, principal of St. Catharine School, Spring Lake. “There’s a unique joy in seeing the community come together to deepen their faith, support one another, and engage in a shared mission of education and service.”
She noted that there is “a strong emphasis on integrating faith with academics. … We strive to demonstrate by our actions those virtues and behaviors we wish to foster in our students.”
St. Catharine’s director of curriculum, Tara Brazinski, says she is excited to guide students “in applying Catholic values to their growing understanding of the world, encouraging them to integrate their beliefs into their daily decisions and interactions.”
Brazinski said that she opted to teach in a Catholic school because her own Catholic identity “deeply shaped my desire to contribute to an environment where faith is a central part of the learning experience. … The close-knit environment and emphasis on tradition and service created a supportive atmosphere for both students and teachers.”
‘Heartbeat of the School’
Charlie Thomas, St. Catharine’s student council president, said he was looking forward to being in eighth grade and to seeing his friends and meeting teachers. “I also can’t wait for Nacho Tuesdays,” he added.
Sophia Bland, seventh grader in St. Catharine’s, was excited for “science class [and] maybe doing some experiments this year … and hopefully being in another SCS musical production.”
“At St. Catherine’s, we truly believe in faith first,” Sophia added. “We celebrate the First Friday Mass, during which students participate in many ways.”
Charlie agreed that St. Catharine School “has great teachers that prepare us for ... high school. They also lead by example and show us the meaning of faith in the classroom and beyond.”
At Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, principal Michele Martinez was enthused for everyone’s return. “The students are the heartbeat of this school, and without them, there is no pulse,” she said. “The students and teachers breathe life into the hallways and classrooms.
“Being a leader of a Catholic school is so rewarding, as I can both bring my educational leadership knowledge with God and faith at the forefront,” she said.
Eager to begin, students of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, smile for a photo in their first class of the new academic year Aug. 29. Mike Ehrmann photo
The Impact of Faith
Notre Dame seniors Gavin Coleman and Riley Carr volunteered as peer leaders, donning red shirts to advertise their role as guides for new students. Both were looking forward to special senior activities, and both recognized the role Catholic education played in shaping them.
“Without Notre Dame I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” said Coleman, who said the school not only keeps him on track academically, but also “makes my faith stronger, and pushed me to seek out roles within our school like becoming a peer leader and SHADES club president.”
Carr, too, said his school “helps prepare me academically by pushing me to achieve all my academic goals, but also made me become more religiously involved in my community and at school.”
Notre Dame Spanish teacher Ana Marilyn Torrado Ward loves the beginning of the new school year “because of the excitement and energy that the students bring with them. It’s a bit chaotic but electric and just makes you feel alive.”
“It is a gift and a privilege for me to be able to practice and live my faith every day, especially where I work, and to share my beliefs and values with my students,” Ward said. “As a life-long practicing Roman Catholic and product of a wonderful Catholic education from grammar school through college, I cannot imagine teaching anywhere else.”
Sean O’Malley, a 2016 graduate of Notre Dame and current STEM and biology teacher, attributed his success in both college and life to the impact of Catholic high school. “This was in no small part due to the care and attention my teachers put into each day, and now I have the privilege of seeing just how much work my colleagues put into providing the best possible education and environment for their students.”
For photo galleries of these and other schools’ first days of the school year:
First Day of School Around the Diocese 2024 - The Monitor (smugmug.com)
St. Catharine School 1st Day of School 2024 - The Monitor (smugmug.com)
First Day of School-Notre Dame High School - The Monitor (smugmug.com)
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The familiar anticipation of the first day of school captures students and teachers alike. Just-out-of-the-package school supplies, new staff and classes and a bit of apprehension all jumble together as students jostle through the hallways and teachers try to learn students’ names.
It’s all part of the excitement, and Catholic schools of the Diocese of Trenton work to harness that energy and align it toward a faith-filled experience. Having teachers and administrators who bring faith into the classroom addresses students’ growing understanding of who they are spiritually and where that fits in the experience of being Catholic.
The Monitor covered two of the schools with early start dates – Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 – asking students and staff to reflect on the academic year ahead.
“What I enjoy most … is the sense of renewed purpose and spiritual growth that accompanies the start of the new school year,” said Donna White, principal of St. Catharine School, Spring Lake. “There’s a unique joy in seeing the community come together to deepen their faith, support one another, and engage in a shared mission of education and service.”
She noted that there is “a strong emphasis on integrating faith with academics. … We strive to demonstrate by our actions those virtues and behaviors we wish to foster in our students.”
St. Catharine’s director of curriculum, Tara Brazinski, says she is excited to guide students “in applying Catholic values to their growing understanding of the world, encouraging them to integrate their beliefs into their daily decisions and interactions.”
Brazinski said that she opted to teach in a Catholic school because her own Catholic identity “deeply shaped my desire to contribute to an environment where faith is a central part of the learning experience. … The close-knit environment and emphasis on tradition and service created a supportive atmosphere for both students and teachers.”
‘Heartbeat of the School’
Charlie Thomas, St. Catharine’s student council president, said he was looking forward to being in eighth grade and to seeing his friends and meeting teachers. “I also can’t wait for Nacho Tuesdays,” he added.
Sophia Bland, seventh grader in St. Catharine’s, was excited for “science class [and] maybe doing some experiments this year … and hopefully being in another SCS musical production.”
“At St. Catherine’s, we truly believe in faith first,” Sophia added. “We celebrate the First Friday Mass, during which students participate in many ways.”
Charlie agreed that St. Catharine School “has great teachers that prepare us for ... high school. They also lead by example and show us the meaning of faith in the classroom and beyond.”
At Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, principal Michele Martinez was enthused for everyone’s return. “The students are the heartbeat of this school, and without them, there is no pulse,” she said. “The students and teachers breathe life into the hallways and classrooms.
“Being a leader of a Catholic school is so rewarding, as I can both bring my educational leadership knowledge with God and faith at the forefront,” she said.
Eager to begin, students of Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, smile for a photo in their first class of the new academic year Aug. 29. Mike Ehrmann photo
The Impact of Faith
Notre Dame seniors Gavin Coleman and Riley Carr volunteered as peer leaders, donning red shirts to advertise their role as guides for new students. Both were looking forward to special senior activities, and both recognized the role Catholic education played in shaping them.
“Without Notre Dame I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” said Coleman, who said the school not only keeps him on track academically, but also “makes my faith stronger, and pushed me to seek out roles within our school like becoming a peer leader and SHADES club president.”
Carr, too, said his school “helps prepare me academically by pushing me to achieve all my academic goals, but also made me become more religiously involved in my community and at school.”
Notre Dame Spanish teacher Ana Marilyn Torrado Ward loves the beginning of the new school year “because of the excitement and energy that the students bring with them. It’s a bit chaotic but electric and just makes you feel alive.”
“It is a gift and a privilege for me to be able to practice and live my faith every day, especially where I work, and to share my beliefs and values with my students,” Ward said. “As a life-long practicing Roman Catholic and product of a wonderful Catholic education from grammar school through college, I cannot imagine teaching anywhere else.”
Sean O’Malley, a 2016 graduate of Notre Dame and current STEM and biology teacher, attributed his success in both college and life to the impact of Catholic high school. “This was in no small part due to the care and attention my teachers put into each day, and now I have the privilege of seeing just how much work my colleagues put into providing the best possible education and environment for their students.”
For photo galleries of these and other schools’ first days of the school year:
First Day of School Around the Diocese 2024 - The Monitor (smugmug.com)
St. Catharine School 1st Day of School 2024 - The Monitor (smugmug.com)
First Day of School-Notre Dame High School - The Monitor (smugmug.com)