By Sue Brown, Director of Marketing and Community Relations
Angelica B., an eighth grader at Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic School in Webster Groves, delivered one of many Catholic Schools Week speeches at weekend Masses in parishes all over the Archdiocese of St. Louis. No one can speak more knowledgeably and convincingly about the value of Cathol
ic education than a student of a Catholic school. The following is the complete text of Angelica’s talk delivered at the 11:00 Mass at Mary, Queen of Peace Parish on Sunday, January 29, 2012.
“Hello. My name is Angelica. I first came to Mary, Queen of Peace (MQP) as a little second grader with perpetually skinned knees and a page-boy haircut.
There were many things I didn’t know then. I had never used a microscope, I felt overwhelmed by multiplication tables, and I struggled with drawing a realistic horse (don't we all?). My teachers helped, encouraged, and supported me and showed me how to ask for help when I needed it. Now I know how to dissect owl pellets, identify the six animal kingdoms, and name their classification system. I can say the Hail Mary in Spanish, hit high C on the clarinet, list all the state capitals, and compose an essay in five-paragraph form. I've learned how to describe the structure of a cell, categorize subordinate clauses, and solve for x in an algebraic equation. I’ve learned all these things, and many others I’ll need to excel in high school, here at MQP, and I am very grateful. But there are many other good schools that might have prepared me just as well academically.
So, what makes Mary, Queen of Peace School special? At MQP we learn things that matter even more than math, science, and history.
Mary, Queen of Peace energetically creates a culture of faith. We hear about God’s great love for us and His holy will for us every day: through Mrs. Ciolek's God's Little Devotional Book, in daily religion class, and in the prayers we say every morning, at lunch, before classes, and at the end of the school day. We attend Mass every week, we receive regular visits from Fr. Bob and Fr. Craig to our classrooms, and we prepare as a class for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. We research saints in the fifth grade and again in the seventh grade. We go on a seventh grade retreat, a Confirmation retreat, and an eighth-grade retreat.
At the same time, Mary, Queen of Peace immerses its students in an environment of faith. Crucifixes appear in every room, statues of the Blessed Mother dot the school, and life-size statues of the Sacred Heart and the Prince of Peace grace the hallways. Classrooms contain prayer books, prayer boards, and prayer tables. Paintings and pictures of Jesus hang in the classrooms, and even the art teacher has religious posters on her walls. One says, "Jesus is tougher than nails." Another shows a picture of Jesus carrying the cross that reads "Follow the Leader." At Mary, Queen of Peace we are surrounded with reminders of our faith, and from these grow the compassion we need for a life of service.
MQP gives us many opportunities to offer service: dress-out day donations and sandwich prep in support of St. Patrick's Center, Mission Carnival, each grade's annual stewardship project, and the SAC Ambassadors program to help MQP's smallest students. When I was their age, I used to spend Mass in the cry room, running my Hot Wheels cars along the backs of the chairs an d asking how much longer Mass was going to take. Now I help my two kindergarten buddies to sit through Mass quietly, and, on good days, even prayerfully. Mrs. Smith taught me the Hail Mary, and now I teach this prayer to first graders in the PSR program. Mrs. Black taught me how to serve at Mass, and now I help her instruct the new servers.
My teachers at MQP taught me the parts of the Mass, the liturgical calendar, and all five verses of “We Three Kings.” But what they really taught me was to care for and to serve others. All of these opportunities, this warm and faith-filled environment, and especially the teachers and staff here at MQP, have given me what no secular school experience could. This is what it means to be a Catholic school. Thank you.”
What an eloquent presentation that absolutely captures the essence of the mission of Catholic education--to bring children into a close, personal relationship with Jesus! Congratulations to Angela, her parents, and Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic School for articulating it so well!
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has 121 Catholic elementary schools and educates over 35,000 students in kindergarten through grade eight. Our elementary schools offer vibrant and life-giving religious education programs and strong academic programs that incorporate instruction in all the subject areas including fine arts and physical education/health. Our schools are child-centered and are committed to providing strong academic and developmental programs which enable children to grow to their full potential. 
By Sue Brown, Director of Marketing and Community Relations
, and share resources where needed, the Federation identified professional learning teams as one way to achieve its goals.