What St. Francis Has Made Me by Libby Magones
Hello my name is Libby and I am a student at St. Francis de Sales. I'm an 8th grader and this week is Catholic School’s Week and I wanted to talk about how special St. Francis de Sales is and what St. Francis de Sales has made me.
When we have each other, we are everything. The people atSt. Francis de Sales has made my 12 years of school everything I could have imagined. St Francis has made me the best version of myself. It has given me confidence and knowledge to share and to use. I grew in faith, I made a family, achieved excellence and soon, I'll have to move on
A Catholic School, you would expect to learn about face and of course, the Catholic religion. While at Saint Francis, only are we informed about our religion, we grow in it. Andn on the way we have grown as a family. I have practically lived with the same people since what, Pre-3? it's been awhile. We became family. Bus rides begin to feel like a family road trip. the picture on the bus, we joke, we laugh, we even sleep sometimes. We are so comfortable with one another but I consider these people I have grown up with more than just friends. We have grown over the years because of one another. Greta Roscoe, in particular, who is one of my closest classmates, helped me grow in my faith. She guided me towards Christ, she lifted me up And honestly is one of the best people I've ever met. this is what you get at Saint Francis. the most well-rounded and kind-hearted people you will ever meet. like words to my classmates was one of my teachers,Mrs. Jeske. My brother had her for homeroom in 7th grade. I was so excited to be in her class. and I'll tell you what, it did not disappoint. I learned about her, our class made jokes with her, We were comfortable with one another. We even threw her a birthday party once. Point being, even if we aren't all in the same “friends groups”, we all know and love each other and care for one another even if we don't know it. The connection is greater than our minds can comprehend.
Faith and family is what takes Saint Francis the extra mile. But what all schools have is education. This school achieves excellence in that field too. We are a 2-time Blue Ribbon School! Since we are such a small school, I have had the same 8 people in my class for 6 years. We are one competitive class. But, instead of bringing us down, it lifts us up! And encourages us and it strengthens us. Now, one thing absolutely every kid is not a fan of at St. Francis is the grading scale. But this grading scale pushes us 2 be our most prepared selves.
The end of the quarter and throughout the whole quarter really, I would stress about my grades. still do. teachers like Mrs. Keller, our principal, Remind me that the exorbitant amount of pressure that I put on myself is it not worth it. These teachers truly care about their students, every single one.
Excellence is shown in another way. Since we are a small school, we are forced out of our comfort zone in different scenarios to meet new people. We are told to care for others that we don't know. We have service projects with Heifer International, and so much more. Students are constantly making fundraisers to help learn about others. Another extracurricular activity is the speech contest. At the moment, learning the speech, having it memorized, performing it, it can all be a bit (more than a bit) stressful. It can be dreaded. But as I head into the speech contest this year, I look back. It has helped me as a speaker, it has helped me with confidence and calmness. Even the things we don't love to do, it is all worth it. A matter of tough love.
I'm in 8th grade, it didn't really hit me until the second quarter ended thatI have to move on. The school has made me who I am. I wouldn't be the same without it. I will leave Saint Francis. I will go into High School. it will be different. I am scared. add red leaving and being in the situation of having to make new friends. I realize that Saint Francis has prepared me for just that. I have served as a Catholic, learned as the student. I am ready, no matter how much I want to deny it, for my next step. Having somewhere to go home. Having something to love is family. Having both is a blessing. St Francis is a blessing. My happiness and memories and heart will stay at Saint Francis no matter how many miles I travel. At Carmel, there will be no Christmas Concert for each student to participate. There will be no religion class with Mrs. Nigro or office with Marion, I have to learn to take risks. It will be different. It is a pain to leave, but instead of worrying about leaving, I move into the new mindset of being glad it happened.
In a word, St. Francis has given me confidence, knowledge and people with great hearts and minds. They give me intelligence in guiding me as a Catholic and as a person. This school is so great. I wrote this essay to remind you to always keep that in mind and to appreciate where you are. Don’t waste your time at St. Francis, don't complain about school, live it up, because I realize now that it is the best thing that ever happened to me.
