Sharing Our Stories

This page is a collection of reflections from parents, teachers, and staff on the difference they have found in Catholic education. In addition to the highlighted post, additional posts can be read through the links on this page.                         

By: Jennifer Dobbins, Parent at St. Mary Catholic School, Paw Paw

I attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 12th grade, while my husband went to public school. We both had great experiences with our schooling so when it came time to pick a school for our first son we were torn by the good reputations of the public schools in the area and the great experience we had while Daniel attended two years of St. Catherine Catholic preschool.

After touring multiple schools with Daniel, we felt the Catholic school was the best fit for our family. You could call it a gut feeling, or more accurately the Holy Spirit. (“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14). Daniel has just completed his kindergarten year at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Paw Paw and we couldn’t be more pleased with his education and faith experience!

There are the obvious benefits of Catholic education, like the stellar academics due to the dedicated and amazing teachers and staff and the low student to teacher ratio. Beyond the classroom learning, here are some of the secret benefits of a Catholic school you may not see in a brochure or on a tour that has made our year something to blog about!

Little did I know that the exposure to the different grade levels would be one of the best influences on my son. All of the kids in kindergarten through 5th grade go to recess and have lunch together. During the wintertime, the 5th graders were paired with kindergarteners to help with getting their winter gear off and hanging it up to dry (“whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant” Mark 10:43). What an amazing leadership opportunity for the 5th graders! My son thought it was the coolest thing that he had a 5th-grade "buddy".  During my time on the playground, I have witnessed countless interactions with older students helping younger ones on playground equipment, encouraging them to get involved in a game, helping out when someone gets hurt or even offering to walk a sick friend to the office. My favorite story was watching my son play the new "gaga ball" game. He wasn't very good at it and was getting frustrated and a 3rd grader let him win to bolster his confidence! (“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:16).                        

Not only did Daniel get to have the older kids as mentors and role models, but he had the opportunity to do the same for the preschoolers this year! The kindergarten and preschool classes enjoyed multiple field trips and parties together during the year. The kindergarten students were paired with their preschool buddies and took their "job" very seriously showing the younger kids the ropes! There was also a special reading day with the two groups. The kindergarteners made bookmarks and read in pairs to the preschool kids. I love the idea of giving “older” students this special and important role and also the exposure the preschoolers get to kindergarten!  (“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40)

There are so many wonderful aspects of a Catholic school, but at the end of the day when I am writing that check out for tuition, the true value is found in the foundation of faith woven in the educational environment. In a world that sometimes seems very broken, I find my “village” in our Catholic schools; helping me raise my kids, instilling the same values we teach in our home, and incorporating the teachings of the Church. (“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” Proverbs 22:6). Mass, rosaries, prayer services, sacrament preparation, religious education, daily prayer, prayer intentions, bible readings….just to list a few of the religious activities incorporated into each day! My son has had the opportunity to participate in the weekly school Mass by taking up the gifts, carrying the banner, reading special intentions, and carrying the Bible. The school has done a wonderful job of easing the kindergarteners into their positions and practicing so they were comfortable and confident. The younger students were able to see the older kids perform these roles first which is so much more impactful than watching the adults! Each time my son had a role in Mass, he was congratulated and encouraged by an older student on a job well done.  I am so impressed by how confident and mature all the students are when participating in Church - what an amazing way to connect the kids to Mass and help them build public speaking skills!

Choosing a school is such a huge decision, one that creates a lot of stress for us as parents. For our family, the pivotal point was when we asked the question, “given no outside constraints, where do we want our boys to go to school?” The answer was clear, Catholic school. One hard decision down….now on to figuring out the constraints ☺ (“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6)