Welcome back Mount St. Joseph Students, Families, Faculty, and Staff! After over six months of being apart, the last two days have been very rewarding. As I look and listen to the stories of surrounding school districts starting their school years with mixed start up plans and mixed reviews, I am more excited than ever that we have made the right decision to start strong with full in-person instruction. I am also encouraged by the overwhelming sense of excitement within our faculty and students during the first days that everyone is glad to be back.
The school looks great. I would like to thank the small crew of dedicated staff members (Janelle, Nick, Dan, and Bill) that worked tirelessly preparing the school for this school year. We are using classrooms that have been dormant for years and they look outstanding! I would also like to thank the crew from Magic Brush that did the hard work painting and cleaning the front of the school, it looks awesome!
As we continue with this momentum, I’m excited for our student athletes to compete within the next week or so. It is a huge part of the high school experience and adds a sense of normalcy to the year. However, having said that, I believe our watch words for the year will continue to be flexible and teamwork.
We must remain flexible to the situations and conditions that are out of our span of control. There is still a tremendous amount of uncertainty within our state, region, and country; all of which is out of our control. I personally struggle with this and so I can certainly empathize with students and families when events outside of school affect our ability and opportunities inside school. Please know that our faculty and staff will do whatever we can to buffer these outside forces and continue to maintain a sense of calm within our ranks.
As I have mentioned multiple times over the past few weeks, teamwork is imperative to continuing the success we have felt. Everyone has a part in keeping us in school. Without a total effort from everyone, gaps will form in our phalanx. So it may seem inconsequential that desks get wiped down after each class period but it is actually a key element in keeping us all safe and healthy. If you do not feel well, stay home, follow along on Google Classroom. If you have to quarantine, it will be fine, we will support you until you come back to school!
I couldn't be happier or prouder to be your Principal. This is going to be another great year for Mount St. Joseph Academy!
Very Respectfully,
Mike Alexander
Principal
Mount St. Joseph Academy