Celebrating Catholic education
MY NAME is Areka. I attend St Patrick’s Primary School. I am glad I attend a Catholic school because it introduced me to Christ. First thing every morning, before we learn our first lessons, we are taught about the journey God went through for us so we can be free from sin. Here at St Patrick’s Primary, we live as a family. We pray together and share with each other, not only with our classes or school but with our surrounding neighbours as well.
St Patrick’s Primary starts every school term with a school Mass, where all students, teachers, parents and everyone who is part of the school body is invited to be in attendance. We normally get a nice turnout. We pray for a year filled with success and a crime-free year and bless the family of the entire school.
Our school is part of a church family, which is St Patrick’s Catholic Church. We are in attendance for Sunday Mass. Those children who do not attend Sunday Mass still get the opportunity to worship on weekdays in the church. For example, grades one and two worship on Tuesdays, grades three and four on Wednesdays, and grades five and six on Thursdays. Our general devotions are kept on a Monday, when we gather in the school hall. On the other days, when some grades are in the church, the others have devotions in their classes.
For the past five years attending this Catholic school, learning how we should live a Christ-like life has made me into a well-composed, well-spoken and generous young lady, along with my parents’ help, of course. I think attending a Catholic school keeps me more grounded and focused on how Christ wants us to live. When I am at school, it feels like home. Why? Because we live like a family. Mommy says the family that prays together stays together and grows happy together.