To the Telegram:
During the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 7, students, schools and churches nationwide celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of both education and religion, and will be celebrated locally in our Catholic parishes together with the students, faculty and families of our own Cathedral School.
I am not from Superior, and I was not raised within the Catholic religion. You might wonder why I then would write a letter to the editor about Catholic Schools Week.
I married my husband Patrick, a lifetime Superior native nearly 13 years ago. I moved to Superior, we started a family and when it came time for us to look for pre-school for our daughter, Cathedral School became an obvious choice for us. Our daughter has fatal food allergies and we found it difficult to leave her in the care of anyone but family. Cathedral's Pre-School program and teachers seemed to have exactly what we needed to make sure our daughter would get a nurturing, quality early childhood education along with the ability to ensure our daughter would be safe when she was away from us.
Little did we know that when we walked into Cathedral School we had found a gem within the Superior community. Throughout the first year there, the question of "Where would we send her for Kindergarten?" weighed on our minds. We grew to know the principal, staff and other families attending Cathedral. As a non-Catholic, I was surprised at how welcome I felt. I had never thought about Cathedral's kindergarten through 8th grade program as a community school, I had assumed only children of Catholic families attended. While faith is a fundamental element of the school, the teachers invest their time by guiding and helping students develop a foundation for life, which is anchored in education, spiritual growth and community service.
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By the close of our daughter's pre-school year, Cathedral School had become the only choice for us! We are now nearing the end of our sixth year at Cathedral and we have never regretted our decision. Quite the opposite actually! The relationships our family has built within the school are an everyday part of our lives. The quality education our daughter has received and will continue to receive is something she will carry with her into a very successful future. It's an experience that will undoubtedly yield dividends for a lifetime. Perhaps most importantly, in a day when violence and disrespect are not uncommon in our youth, she is instead being taught and is embracing the values of ethics, respect, helping others, building relationships and hard work.
As you drive by Cathedral School on your daily commute or as you choose where to send your children to school next year, I encourage you to reach out to a Cathedral family or staff member and find out more about what one of Superior's best kept secrets has to offer.
Kristi O'Brien,
Superior
