Saint Jude School Celebrates Catholic Schools Week

Saint Jude School - Faith, Knowledge, and Service

by Meghan Conneely

Saint Jude School will join schools across the country in celebrating the 41st annual Catholic Schools Week, with the theme of “Catholic Schools - Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service.”

“Faith” is a yearlong journey that begins when the school opens its doors in September. Religion class is taught every day, and each grade at the school takes turns hosting Mass once a month. During Catholic Schools Week, a daily prayer service will kick off each morning. The week will culminate with a Mass on Friday, which is open to the public, with students representing each grade participating in the service.

“Knowledge” at Saint Jude School has been enhanced this year by a state-of-the-art technology lab. Through the collaboration of donors, parents, and Boston Catholic Television, the school recently purchased brand new laptops, an iPad, and two wireless laser printers. SJS prides itself on making the latest in technological advances available to all students.

The new computer lab has a special meaning for one Saint Jude School family. Kristin Murphy Romano is a former SJS student (Class of 1982) and her daughters, Lucy and Trixie, now attend the school. Kristin’s mother, Jane Murphy, passed away a few years ago. After Mrs. Murphy’s death, Kristin thought that a great way to honor her mom’s memory would be to help build a new computer lab.

“My mother had a real affinity for Saint Jude School,” says Kristin. “Through the years, she watched many of the neighborhood children walk to school in that familiar green uniform. She was always the first one that neighborhood kids would go to for any school fundraiser. Whether it was Barnyard Bingo Deeds or Irish Raffle tickets, she was in - even long after her own children graduated.”

“My mom was a teacher and always on the cutting edge when it came to technology. She would be thrilled to know that her granddaughters, and the rest of the Saint Jude student body, are able to utilize the latest and greatest in computers,” says Kristin. A plaque on the computer lab’s wall wall reads “In Loving Memory of Jane B. Murphy.” “Now, Lucy and Trixie see Grammy’s name and think of her every time they go to computer class,” Kristin says.

Putting all of this brand new technology and innovation together helps to engage Saint Jude School students in the attainment of 21st century skills.

“Service” is a something that all SJS students enjoy. The older students belong to the school’s “Celebrate Service Club,” which, among other things, coordinates food drives and visits Maristhill Nursing Home monthly. The younger students collect goods for a local food pantry, make Valentine Cards for local nursing homes, and raise money for various charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Autism Speaks. Many of the charities have a direct impact on SJS families.

On Monday, the school kicks off its Sock Drive to celebrate service during Catholic Schools Week. The students will collect new socks of all sizes (baby-adult) throughout the week, and the socks will then be donated to people in need.

“Helping out in the community is something the kids want to do, as opposed to something the kids have to do,” says Sister Katherine Martin, SND, principal of Saint Jude School. “The kids don’t do it to win a prize, or to have their names read out loud at Mass. They do it because they want to do it.”

If you’d like to learn more about Saint Jude School, please attend one of our upcoming open houses, or join us on Friday, January 30 for a 9:00 a.m. Mass celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

Saint Jude School is a PreK-8 program for children in the Waltham/Newton/Watertown/Brighton area and beyond. Saint Jude also offers an inexpensive extended day program staffed primarily by teachers. The school will have three upcoming Open Houses: Sunday, January 25 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.; Tuesday, January 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, January 28 from 9 to 10 a.m. For more information, call (781) 899-3644 or visit www.saintjudewaltham.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.