As we embark on the season of Thanks, we may find ourselves thinking about the needs of others and how we might share our blessings. “Giving Tuesday” referring to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, is an opportunity to give back to the teachers of St. Benedict School in thanksgiving for the gifts of time, talent and treasure they share with our students everyday. Teachers of St. Benedict are using very old laptop computers. Beginning January 2020, Windows 7 will no longer be supported and the older computers cannot be updated. As a result, we have an urgent, unbudgeted need to replace 15 computers for daily classroom use. Little Flower Parish is kindly promoting Giving Tuesday on December 3rd to help lessen the financial pressure and provide teachers with needed instructional tools. Any assistance you can offer is greatly appreciated. Contributions may be made through online giving (Venmo or CashApp) and by …

Students in grades 4-8 enjoyed a great presentation by Energy Agents on Wednesday afternoon learning how to conserve energy at school and at home. Families now have the opportunity to receive a free Energy Conservation Kit from Toledo Edison. Families can sign up for their kit in three ways:  Visit OhioStudentKit.com and enter promo code FEOH1920  Call 1-855-343-6600  Submit a completed Classroom Rewards Form Participating classroom teachers have the opportunity to earn $50 when they return 20 Classroom Rewards Forms completed by our parents. Forms must be received by December 12, 2019 to qualify for rewards. Read More

While most of our children are focused on today’s celebration of Halloween or Trick or Treating, tomorrow’s celebration is most deserving of our attention. November 1st is the Feast of All Saints, a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church. It is rare that we are not in school attending mass together on this day, but due to scheduling, this year is an exception. As parents and Catholic educators, we share the responsibility of helping our children find the path to heaven. The saints serve as the role models for all of us on that journey. Their lives and their holiness give us a map to finding the place God has prepared for each of us and our children in the kingdom. May we be like the saints and say yes to all that God has prepared for us. Lord, may we share your love in the way of …

Zeal is the great desire to make God known, loved, and served, and thus to bring knowledge of salvation to others. Activity flows from this virtue. Teachers who possess it fulfill the duties of their profession with enthusiasm, love, courage, and perseverance. Bl. Basil Moreau, Christian Education (1856) This was the message teachers heard and reflected upon last Monday as they participated in the “Known, Loved, Served” Conference last Monday. Over 700 Catholic educators from the Diocese of Toledo gathered to begin the day with Mass and listen to nine featured speakers share how this mission has been evident in their lives. Teachers were challenged to further reflect on our call to be zealous in our vocation. Please pray for the faculty and staff of St. Benedict Catholic School as we continue to make God known, loved, and served to your children. Read More

Grandchildren are the crown of grandparents, And parents are the glory of their children. Proverbs 17:6 What a wonderful day we had celebrating and sharing time with our grandparents and special friends. The celebration of mass included the voices of our new Student Choir. Students and grandparents alike enjoyed doughnuts and refreshments provided by our wonderful PTO. The gym was adorned with heartfelt messages on placemats reminding our grandparents how much they are loved. Teachers welcomed grandparents to their rooms where students proudly shared their accomplishments. The blessings of this day are too numerous to count and we are so happy to be able to celebrate these special people. Read More

Building Community among the students at St. Benedict Catholic School is a central piece of our mission and our School Improvement Plan. Two traditions that support this growth are Family Life Groups and Spirit Days. These two activities generally fall on the last Fridays of the month (unless otherwise announced). Family Life Groups are formed by combining students from different grade levels (Pre/K-4 and 5-8) and are led by a teacher or staff member that the students may not necessarily know well. During this one period a month, the students participate in fun activities that build community, focus on Life Skills and Works of Mercy. Students and staff alike look forward to these days. Spirit Days help promote pride and spirit in St. Benedict Catholic School. Students and staff may dress in St. Benedict Spirit Wear or St. Benedict school colors (red, black, and yellow). Dress Code Guidelines are attached. …

Prayer is an important part of each day at St. Benedict Catholic School. Not only do we begin and end each day in prayer, many of our teachers begin each lesson with a prayer. We do not need to take a moment of “silence” to honor fallen heroes or remember someone in need or who is dear to us…. WE CAN PRAY FOR THEM OUT LOUD! Each morning we consecrate ourselves and our day to Jesus: Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, I love you so much and I give you my heart. Help me to love God. Help me to love my neighbor as a child of God. Help me to love myself as a child of God. Amen The most important prayer of the week is celebrating Mass together as a school community each Tuesday at 8:15 am. Please join us! Read More

What a wonderful beginning of the year we have had! The teachers, staff and students are happy to be back as evidenced by the joy in their words and actions. The teachers and staff are dedicated to our mission to help our students respond to God’s call to “LIVE, LEARN AND LOVE” but we cannot do this alone. As our partners in education and faith, we depend on our parents, guardians, and grandparents to help us in this mission. Communication is the first and most important step in this relationship. We will work hard to keep you informed, beginning with these Thursday Thoughts as well as other important information that will come home to you each Thursday via e-mail and envelopes. (Our apologies for being a day late this week!) PLEASE BE SURE TO RETURN THE EMPTY ENVELOPES EACH WEEK! Read More  

“O God, let all the nations praise you.” Psalm 67:4 As we count down the last days of school, I first wish to thank you all for your patience, understanding and support this year, especially for me. While facing m many personal challenges, I have appreciated the thoughts and prayers from our school families. You and your children are a blessing to me and have helped me heal both spiritually and physically in my times of need. I see God through each and every one of you.

“All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of the resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.” Philippians 4:10 As we journey through the Lenten season, we continue to seek ways to be more Christ-like. The church provides us with a very compelling way to share in the suffering and death of Jesus through the Way of the Cross. The Way of the Cross also known as Stations of the Cross help us to recall the tremendous love of Jesus Christ as He suffered and died for our salvation. This devotional prayer also helps us to relate Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection to the needs and sufferings of others.