Brick by Brick

A Good Friday

First, a moving Catholic Schools Week closing liturgy celebrated by Fr. David Frederici. The theme was 'Celebrate Service', and there's no shortage of JPII students who make service an part of their lives. Check out the remarks given by Tatiana Diaz-Lane, '11 and Ashley Weeks,'11 .

Then, a convincing victory for the boys basketball team. Great way to end the week!

Pictured right: a hearty 'thank you' to the basketball parents for organizing a fun field trip to Boston College's Men's Basketball victory over NC State last Saturday.

Guest Blogger: Cody Edwards at Historic Inauguration

Finally, the whole point of the trip; the viewing of the Inauguration. At 4:00, we received our wake up call -- I took a quick, hot shower, put on my clothes (that I had luckily laid our the night before), and rushed out the door, forgetting my lanyard. I quickly ran back to the room to get it, because we aren't allowed to go anywhere without it. 

 

After two hours of traffic, we arrived at the entrance to The Mall. At about 7:30 we had safely secured our spot for viewing the ceremony. Although we were far away from the Jefferson Memorial, we were much closer than a good number of people. We stood in the freezing cold weather, all huddled together in a group, for six hours, until it was time to go. The crowd was so immense that the weather was easier to deal with than one would think.

 

This ceremony, with all of the people going wild and the speeches of celebrities and politicians, was possibly one of the highlights of my life. After leaving, we were caught in another two hours of traffic. When we returned to the hotel, everyone went to get ready for the Inaugural Ball, which was a dance for the People to People students in our hotel.

Guest Blogger: Cody Edwards, '12 on the Way to DC

Freshman Cody Edwards is traveling to Washington, D.C.as part of a student ambassador program to witness President Obama's historic inauguration. Throughout the journey, Cody's "dispatches" can be read here.

Saturday, January 17

"Today I left for Washington. I woke up at 8:30 to pack and by 12:00 I was on the road to Hyannis to pick up my friend, Christian, who is also on the trip. We got to the airport at around 2:30, immediately checked our bags in, and then went through customs. Christian's Mom came with us to the gate to see us off, we boarded the plane, and we were on our way to D.C. Once we landed, we were greeted by some of the delegate leaders. Once we got to the hotel, we had an introduction and dinner. Then we were sent to our rooms for the night."

Sunday, January 18

"Today was a late day for us. We woke up at about 5:45 AM, took showers, got dressed (we had to wear khakis today), ate breakfast until about 8:00 AM, and took off. We went to another hotel to hear Mary Eisenhower, President Eisenhower's granddaughter. After her speech, we went to lunch, then to Mount Vernon, George Washington's home. We were there for a couple of hours, and then we went to the JFK Memorial, where we ate dinner. Then, an hour ride back to the hotel."

The Right Habits

Aristotle famously asserts that excellence is not an act, but a habit. We know that our lasting impact on young people comes when we assist them in developing the right habits --habits of personal effectiveness, habits of caring for others, habits of justice, habits of worship and praise.

Again this year, 30+ JPII students will join thousands from across the country in Washington, D.C. to participate in the March For Life. The March provides an opportunity for young people to live their faith and grow in their commitment to the least among us. Read Hannah Dulmaine's thoughts from the '08 March.

Those 'left behind' will have no ordinary school days -- instead taking part in a faculty-created 'Inter-Session' program designed to broaden students' knowledge and experience in ways that the traditional school day do not allow. We will prepare a meal for homeless clients at NOAH shelter in Hyannis, and join our Marchers 'in spirit' through viewing and analysis of The Spitfire Grill, a feature film that tells the story of each person's God-given dignity.

Most significantly, students will receive training (and stuff!) in Sean Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, a high-quality leadership and character development program based on Stephen Covey's well-known The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Mr. Catelli is well-versed in the Seven Habits, and my Master's training in Educational Administration took as its foundation the Seven Habits, so we know through personal experience the value of this program. Having recently completed a certification program in the Seven Habits for Teens, I look forward to the opportunity our student will have to deepen their own effectiveness. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have you bumped into Covey's Seven Habits in your professional or personal life? Make a comment and consider this an open thread!