Just last week I gave a tour of our school to a family moving from eastern Canada to Lethbridge. At one point they asked me what makes your school better than schools in the public system. I immediately said “our faith makes everything better.” Although I do believe, and I did tell the parents, the public system is a great educational system that cares about students. I do believe Catholic Education has an added component, our faith. Our faith binds us together and permeates everything we do, whether it is during a religious celebration, a social studies project, a science experiment, a math lesson, or a Phys. Ed. game. This year, our faith is very evident as we implement our three year faith plan, Taking Our Place at the Table. As a poster states in my office: “Be it known to all who enter Our Lady of the Assumption School that CHRIST is the reason for this school. He is the unseen but ever present teacher in its classes. He is the model of its staff and the inspiration of its students.”
On November 3 we celebrate Catholic Education Sunday in Alberta. Truly, we need to celebrate. Not only do we provide excellent learning environments, students involved in Catholic Education learn about and to live like Jesus Christ. We learn about and use our gifts and talents to help others. By doing this we welcome everyone and strive to create safe, Christ centred, learning environments. We celebrate Catholic Education daily when we give Christ:
· Our time through prayers and actions;
· Our talents through our accomplishments;
· Our thanks for the many blessings He has given us;
· Ourselves through our positive examples of how we treat each other
every day.
Let us work together in the spirit of Catholic education to make our school a place to be truly thankful for and an example for everyone to follow.
Greg Kostiuk
Greg Kostiuk 
During my High School Graduation, our speaker said it was not until her adulthood did she truly appreciate her Catholic Education. I relate to this sentiment.
I did not know it at the time, but Catholic Education helped me to solidify my identity and belief systems.
My grade 9 teacher said, “Once you know what you believe, it makes life a whole lot easier.”
I pondered over this question for years. What do I believe? How do I find out?
Throughout my life, the bold and subtle themes that echoed in the hallways of my schools helped me to reach a point where I did know what I believed and what my identity was – helping me make better life decsions.
Thanks for sharing Jessica. Catholic Ed has truly help to shape me, unsure how I would have turned out without it.
Well said Greg. I couldn’t agree more that our ability openly share our faith is what differentiates us.
Thanks Ralph for giving it a read, agree with you – it what makes us what we are.