"Congratulations! The faculty and staff of St. Matthew Parish School are delighted to recognize your child as last month's recipient of 'The Pride of St. Matthew.' This is a program to showcase students each month, who have caught the teacher's attention above and beyond the other students in their class. These children are the heart of our school community by providing exceptional role modeling and influence over their peers. The sense of "caring" they generate is infectious and must be nurtured to spread over all our boys and girls."

As I told Marie later that night after having received this letter in the mail- as important as grades are in school, equally important is your character and how others view you as a class leader- one who has a knack for showing compassion and helpfulness. No doubt, this was a transitional year for Marie as she transferred over to this school back in November, but she really did an exceptional job in embracing both the program and her new classmates...culminating with this end of the year award presented by her principal.

I couldn't be more proud of you, Marie.