A New Start And A New System

Ms. Tansey

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year, Titans! This year is already shaping up to be a great one. Everyone is ready for a new, fresh start and excited for the new house system that Holy Trinity has implemented. Each student and staff member has now been sorted into one of six houses, inspired by great Catholic and Jesuit leaders from throughout history. Students have started earning points for their houses and are beginning to build bonds with their fellow house members. We can’t wait to see how this system grows over the year!

Our six houses are The Arrupe House, Becraft House, Day House, Juana House, Romero House and Xavier House. Below you will find a brief biography of each founder along with each house trait. In the coming weeks students from each house will share what it means to be a member of their house.

  • Arrupe House-
    • Founder: Pedro Arrupe was a Spanish Jesuit Priest with a heart for refugees who served as the Superior General for the Jesuits in Japan. After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he cared for 150 sick and wounded Japanese. In 1980 he started the Jesuit refugee service, serving Vietnamese refugees. The organization has now served over 40 millions refugees from around the world.
    • Trait: Compassion
  • Becraft House-
    • Founder: Anne Marie Becraft was a lifelong educator, teaching in Washington D.C. and Baltimore. At just 15 she started the Georgetown Seminary, a day and boarding school for young black girls in The District. She eventually left the school and when she was 26, became one of America’s first black nuns, joining the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Georgetown University recently named a building after Becraft.
    • Trait: Perseverance
  • Day House-
    • Founder: Dorothy Day was a Catholic convert who felt God’s calling to serve the poor. She was the co-founder of the Catholic Work Movement, a radical but non-violent movement which provided service to the poor and homeless and took political action on their behalf.  Her canonization is currently being considered by the Church.
    • Trait: Gratitude
  • Juana House-
    • Founder: Joanna of Austria is the first and only female member of the Society of Jesus. After the death of her husband she was expected to take Franciscan religious vows, but felt called to the Jesuit community instead. The Jesuits had never accepted females, but she persisted in her efforts and ended up taking Jesuit vows under a male name.
    • Trait: Humility
  • Romero House-
    • Founder: Saint Oscar Romero was a social activist and Archbishop of San Salvador. He stood up for the poor and voiceless and passionately denounced the persecution of members of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. In 1980 he was assassinated while celebrating mass and was canonized in 2018.
    • Trait: Justice
  • Xavier House-
    • Founder: Saint Francis Xavier was one of the first members of the Society of Jesus and was the first Jesuit missionary. He spent most of his life as a missionary in Japan and is credited with developing the early Jesuit mission approach. He was canonized in 1622.
    • Trait: Courage

Magis – More

Ms. Tansey

“… looking at myself, [I consider] what I have done for Christ, what I am doing for Christ, what I ought to do for Christ.” — Spiritual Exercises [53]

The Ignatian word “Magis” literally means “more”. In our world, where people are always looking for more in an earthly sense, it is important to be specific about what the word means in a Jesuit sense. Magis is not about more for the sake of more. Not more production, not more money, not more praise, not more to do. Rather, it is about more faith, more love, more patience, more grace, more glory to God. Magis is about quality, not quantity.

Looking around our school, there are examples everywhere of teachers and students living out Magis in so many ways. A few of them are highlighted below.

 

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More Faith – Third Grade Prayer Corner
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More Love- Pre K Kindness Board
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More Service – 4th Grade Coffee Cart to Support Refugees

Keeping God at the Center – Cura Personalis from a Parent’s Perspective

Ms. Tansey
Written by Erin Greene, Kindergarten Parent
Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
St. Augustine

 

Like many of us, I’m pulled in too many directions. My little ones tug at my heartstrings when they are disappointed or sad. I can’t always keep up with my email, and I’m often one step away from forgetting a water bottle, permission slip, or returning library books on time. Last week, I rolled up to school, proud of myself because I was a few minutes early for the 7:50 start time, only to realize there was no school that day! Yes, indeed. That really happened. Sometimes life is a blur. But no matter how consuming life can be, I know I need to carve out time for my prayer life, my creative life, my time with God. Cura Personalis, caring for the whole person, reminds me how essential it is to keep God at my center.

 

Cura Personalis guides me when I take care of my children. It nudges me to help them recognize the areas in their lives that bring them joy and feed their soul. Their lives are busy too. My children are blessed to be part of the Holy Trinity community and the larger Washington, DC neighborhood. They are cared for, they are challenged, and they are exposed to a broader world in the nation’s capital. But this life also comes with full days and very full schedules. Carving out time for them on the weekends to explore their passions in their own space, with less time constraints, helps them discover where their hearts are leading them. It brings them back to God and caring for the wholeness of their being.

 

My five year old loves to create inventions. We will spend hours immersed in his creative world. He leads and I support him. In these quiet moments, my message to him is, “Trust yourself. Dive into your passions. Follow your heart now and always.”

 

My two year old finds wonder in our our small backyard and nearby Rock Creek Park. When he’s out there, he’s finding God. Whether he’s gathering leaves, collecting rocks, or just digging in the dirt, his heart is happy. As we linger there a few extra moments, I hope he knows this is exactly where we should be. “Enjoy. Explore. Be you.”

 

As a family, we are all still learning how to keep Cura Personalis top of mind. Living in a way that honors Cura Personalis will be a lifelong pursuit of mine, and I hope for my children as well. But even when I stray, I know I can always come back to quiet moments with God. When God is at the center, I know I am well nourished and my family is too.

Cura Personalis from a Teacher’s Perspective

Ms. Tansey

Written by Ms. Colleen Brady

On a Friday in early November, instead of quizzing my ELA students on their new vocabulary words, I walked them over to Georgetown University for a session of Christian meditation. During the 12 minutes of silence, some students delighted in the peace, others had a hard time with the stillness, and one even fell asleep in the quiet. When we walked back, all expressed gratitude and told me how much they needed that time to let stress melt away and pray. I know that vocabulary practice is very important for my students intellectually, but I also want to show them that caring for their spiritual, social, emotional, and physical well-being is equally important. This is one way I practice cura personalis as a teacher.

Cura Personalis is an Ignatian value that refers to caring for the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Jesuit schools seek to nurture and promote the best in everyone, and help each one to reach his or her greatest human potential. Cura Personalis is bringing snacks for my hungry eighth graders. It’s going to chapel mass and praying the examen at the beginning of 7th period. It’s collaborating with other teachers and communicating with parents. It’s being present and attentive to what students need most in the moment. Cura Personalis is not easy, and I am not perfect at living it out, but most of all, I hope my students know I deeply care about them, wholly.  

I aim to encourage my students every day and help them recognize that their value does not lie solely in their intellect, but also in their talents, personalities, desires, hearts, faith, and ability to be a good friend to others. Cura personalis also implies a commitment to inclusivity and caring for students of all background and experiences. In my teaching, I try to help students learn about each other’s different traditions, experiences, and cultures to help build a more inclusive community. Our library is full of diverse books that help students practice empathy and understanding. My hope is that through their Jesuit education, students will learn to live out cura personalis with one another.

Olivia’s Take on Cura Personalis

Ms. Tansey

written by Olivia Maguire

 

Cura Personalis translates to, care for the whole person. Cura Personalis is one of the six Ignatian Values. As a Jesuit School, Cura Personalis is a big deal. The big question is, why is it such a big deal?  Holy Trinity talks a lot about service. Holy Trinity is dedicated to making the world a better place.  No matter big or small,  HTS encourages people to help out our community. Things as small as smiling at people or picking up trash, to service trips! This is one way we practice Cura Personalis as a school. We are caring for all those around us and the Earth.
When we are caring for the whole person, it means that we are appreciating other people’s talents, abilities,  personalities, desires, hearts, faith, and minds because they are all equally worthy of care and attention.  This all relates to our Christian faith and Catholic Education. When we learn we learn with our head, but Cura Personalis wants us to learn with our heart and respect the whole body. When we pray, learn and eat healthy we are practicing Cura Personalis. This is because we are caring for our faith by talking to God through prayer. We are caring for our minds by learning new information to help and find answers to our questions. Finally, when we are eating healthy, we are caring for our physical needs. These are some ways that you can practice Cura Personalis in your own life!

Celebrating Our Jesuit Identity

Ms. Tansey

Over the next few months, the Holy Post will be taking a deeper dive into our Jesuit Identity by focusing on one of the key Jesuit values each month. Students, parents and teachers will be sharing their insights and perspectives on what it means to be Jesuit educated and how the Jesuit values can shape our lives. We will also highlight the ways in which these key values are being taught to our students. Join us as we discuss what it means to fully embrace:

 

Cura Personalis

Magis

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

People for Others

Unity of Heart and Mind

Contemplatives in Action

 

In February we will focus on Cura Personalis, or “Care of the whole person”. Follow along as we hear from teachers, parents and students and take a look at what is happening around our school. You may even brush up on your Latin in the process!

Community Building

Community Building

Nick Rosenberger

Holy Trinity School is committed to educating the whole person. As part of this mission, HTS has developed a guide based on the Jesuit Schools Network’s Profile of the Graduate at Graduation. This guide highlights five desirable characteristics: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice.

Recently, Ms. Brady’s religion class reflected on community building. Building relationships is an important component of being a loving individual. Keep reading for Caitlin R.’s and Sarah F.’s thoughts on friendship in their final year at HTS.

By Caitlin R.

A quote that has stood out to me for a while is an old saying that says, “Good friends are like stars; you don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.” I agree with this quote because it is saying that when you have a true friend, you don’t need to see them to know they will always be there to support you. This quote represents what I want in friendships. I always want there to be trust between my friends and me, trust that they will always be there for me and that friends will be the shining stars in the night to light my path. One friend of mine is always there to support me and listen to me vent about the hard things going on in my life. She never gives up on me, even when we have arguments. We always get through our arguments, especially since she is one of the kindest and most understanding people I know.

Friendship to me is the family I choose. The people I am destined to meet and learn to love. Friends are the backbone to society. Without them, people would be miserable people slumping through life. Friends add light to society. I can be a good friend to others by showing them my light and supporting them through whatever they need. Jesus is a friend in a way by showing us the light in others and always being there for us to talk to. Jesus is one of the best people to talk to because he is always listening and protecting us. By being a true friend, you are going above and beyond to help your friends when they need it. The magis is about doing more, and there is no better way to do more than to do more for and with friends.

By Sarah F.

The quote I chose was, “God sends us friends to be our firm support in the whirlpool of struggle. In the company of friends we will find strength to attain our sublime ideal,” from St. Maximillian Kolbe. This quote stood out to me because I know it is true. Hard times are so much harder without someone like a friend to talk to. I believe that this quote is true. The reason that I believe this is that humans can’t survive on their own and need other people as friends. If we didn’t have friends, we wouldn’t have as much strength or confidence to get through hard situations. In my friendships, I aspire for several things. The first is honesty. Friends should never lie to each other. The second is comfort. Good friends should always feel comfortable being who they are with each other. Finally, friends should enjoy each other’s company and have fun hanging out with each other. One example of a book with a good friendship is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. In this book, one friend promises another that he would die for them or anyone they love. At the end of the book, the character dies for his friend’s husband. I can be a good friend to others by being sensitive to anything they might be experiencing in their lives and by cheering them up when they are sad. Jesus was a good friend because he always encouraged his friends or disciples and showed them the right thing to do. We can seek magis in a friendship by striving to be better people and helping each other to be better people. Friendship means many things to many different people. However, most importantly, we have to respect each other.

St. Patrick’s Day Reflection

St. Patrick’s Day Reflection

Nick Rosenberger

By: Nora S.

St. Patrick’s Day is a widely known holiday throughout the world. St. Patrick’s Day celebrates St. Patrick for the remarkable life he lived. During this holiday we also celebrate Irish culture, especially the clothing, dances, and food of Ireland. As a Catholic school, however, it is important for us to recognize St. Patrick for his work as a missionary. At the age 16, Patrick, originally from Britain, was captured in an Irish raid and enslaved. Six years later, he escaped from Ireland and returned to his parents. After he returned to Britain, St. Patrick had a dream that he should return to Ireland and work to convert non-Catholics. Later, he became a bishop. Although St. Patrick was not Irish, he is the patron saint of Ireland.

We should look to St. Patrick’s example and share our faith with others. Holy Trinity loves to participate in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. We get to wear green accents over our uniform, but we should also remember to be good examples of our faith, like St. Patrick. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Changing Lives this Lent

Changing Lives this Lent

Nick Rosenberger

By: 2nd Grade

This Lent, second grade is putting their faith in action by leading Holy Trinity’s Catholic Relief Service (CRS) Rice Bowl initiative. CRS uses the funds it raises to meet the needs of vulnerable populations overseas. However, the Rice Bowl program does more than alleviate hunger and poverty. It also forms a global community, encouraging us to stand with our brothers and sisters in prayer and fasting. Through this program and others at our school, students learn to be persons for others in a global community. As you read students’ reflections below, consider making a donation and joining our students in their commitment to create a more just and loving society.

2nd Grade CRS Rice Bowl Reflections

Maren T: The rice bowl is a tool we use at HTS to help poor and homeless. We put money in the rice bowl to donate to the poor and homeless in different countries. When we donate to different countries, we help people little by little.

Jack C: What is the rice bowl? The rice bowl is a little bowl that you put money in during the course of Lent. The donations from the rice bowl goes to the CRS (Catholic Relief Services’). Once the CRS gets the donations, they use it to help poor countries and bring clean water to poor communities.

Maggie B: When I make a donation to the rice bowl I feel good because I am helping the poor. My donations help poor countries get clean water, the donations help small businesses too! The rice bowl is a cardboard bowl that you put money in for the poor.

Sela D: CRS rice bowl is a company that helps people that are poor. It helps people get clean water and seeds for crops. It also helps small businesses. It makes you feel happy because you are helping people in need. Even a dollar a day can help a family. If you put one dollar every day during Lent, you can help a whole town.

Sofia: I feel happy when I donate to the CRS rice bowl because the homeless get clean water, food, and shelter. Donations help people because the homeless stay safe and healthy.

The Intersection of Art and Faith

The Intersection of Art and Faith

Nick Rosenberger

By: Abby L. and Meredith J.

For hundreds of years, people have found God in art. Many sacred paintings and sculptures show stories of the Gospel in unique ways. Some show physical expressions of Mary and Jesus like the Madonna and Child do.  But the arts are not just expressed in painting and sculpture. They are also expressed through performance. There are musicals like Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Theater expresses human emotions just as Jesus did when he fulfilled the promises that  the prophets made in the Old Testament. When we work together as an ensemble, we are working together for God. Being an ensemble means treating everyone as an equal, and that is what God sent Jesus to do. Part of being Jesuit students is seeking God in all things, including art.

By: Caitlin R.

This year’s school musical, Seussical Jr., is full of crazy Seuss words, fun colors, and lots of songs. Seussical pulls together different Dr. Seuss stories, such as Horton Hears A Who, Horton Hatches An Egg, Gertrude McFuzz, Yertle the Turtle, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Throughout the show, there is heroism, love, anger, and much more. Seussical Jr. is a wonderful and fun show, and we hope it is enjoyed by all who see it.

Two Perspectives on Catholic Schools Week

Two Perspectives on Catholic Schools Week

Nick Rosenberger

By: Parker M.

Catholic Schools Week does not celebrate our differences, but instead celebrates the one thing we have in common: we are all Catholic!

Catholic Schools Week shows our Jesuit Identity because it shows we are Catholic.  Showing that we are Catholic is important because it shows God that we believe in our faith. Expressing our belief in God is the most important thing about Catholics Schools Week.

The main reason we have Catholic Schools Week is to have fun in the presence of God.  God loves every one of us as individuals. Catholics Schools Week is important in many ways. Each way is like a puzzle piece, so when you put them altogether you get an awesome puzzle, that is Catholics Schools Week.

By: Abby L.

During Catholic schools week we get to have free dress, dress like a teacher, and get to wear pajamas. But why do we celebrate it? It’s a question that I’ve been pondering for a while, so I did my research and found the answer. It started way back in 1974. It was created to celebrate who we are as a Catholic school. All across the nation kids just like you celebrate all of the activities that we do. Well they might be a little different, but everywhere people celebrate being Catholic. It’s a celebration of knowing that we are a school for God. It’s to recognize the importance, the value, and the contribution of Catholicism.

It’s important that we celebrate who we are and our identity as Catholics. The definition of catholic is “including a wide variety of things; all-embracing,” which means that we include everyone, no matter who they are. Everyone is special and we should love and respect everyone’s identity.That is why we made our identity posters. That is what Catholic Schools Week is all about, celebrating all of our identities. Your identity is who you are. No matter who you are, you have an identity that makes you amazing and totally original. So yeah, Catholic Schools Week is awesome but not just because of the free dress.

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Identity Posters

Identity Posters

Nick Rosenberger

By: Will P.

This week The Holy Post will be discussing the identity poster, a project that all students in the upper school and lower school are doing. The identity poster is an activity where students express characteristics of their identity on a paper or poster. These identity posters will be hung in hallways and classrooms throughout the upper and lower schools. The staff of HTS have also created posters, which include traits like race, ethnicity, family life, political opinions, etc.

The purpose of the identity poster is to express personal characteristics, make connections and celebrate our differences. Connections between posters can help strengthen relationships and start new ones. Being able to relate to somebody on a personal level can help us get past differences. Acknowledging and celebrating our differences is also important. Being able to see that people are different from each other can help us work together on projects and in the classroom. The way that people think about us and the way that we think about ourselves is something that we need to examine. If people don’t see us the way that we see ourselves, then it’s hard for us to be ourselves.

The identity poster has been one of my favorite projects this year. It wasn’t graded, which gave me the freedom to be creative. Overall, I had a great time with it. I would strongly recommend doing this project with a family member. For example, I did this project with my father, and we had a great time. Thank you and I hope that you enjoyed this write-up for The Holy Post.

Sports and Spirituality

Sports and Spirituality

Your Teachers

By: Helen M.

Basketball is one of many sports at Holy Trinity. It is definitely one of the most popular sports, too. Sports connect us to our Catholic faith in many ways. For example, basketball is a team sport. In basketball you win as a team and lose as a team. I play basketball, and it wouldn’t be as fun without a team. Your teammates cheer you on when you make a basket and support you when you make a mistake. That sounds a lot like our faith. Our faith teaches us to help others, not give up, and play fairly.

The Jesuit tradition that we believe focuses on reflection, examining our day or the preparing for the day to come. After a basketball game, we reflect on our mistakes, but more importantly we reflect on how we can improve: “In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.” -Psalm 138:3

Imagining the Nativity

Imagining the Nativity

Your Teachers
This Advent-Christmas season, third grade is practicing Ignatian contemplation in class. St. Iganatius encouraged his followers to contemplate scenes from Scripture as a way to engage both the mind and heart in prayer. Using their imaginations, third graders placed themselves in the Nativity scene and wrote the reflections below. As the Advent-Christmas season draws to a close with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we invite you to join our students in your own prayerful meditation on the Nativity and the fulfillment of the promise of Christ’s birth.
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“I am the ox, and I am present at the birth of Jesus. I see the Lord of all the people talking and the angels singing. I hear praises of joy and Mary and Joseph adoring the baby Jesus. I smell the incense from the candles and the hay in the manger. I feel the hay on my hoofs and lots of strong love.” -Jack

“I am a shepherd, and I am present at the birth of Jesus. I see Mary holding Jesus. I see some strange men. They are carrying gifts. I hear Jesus cooing and Mary softly humming to Jesus. I smell the air. It smells sweet and soft. I feel warm, calm, safe, and at peace.” -Lucia

“I am Mary, and I am present at the birth of Jesus. I see Joseph holding Jesus, and the animals are asleep. The wise men are walking in. I hear the soft rustle of the wind. I smell myrrh. I feel joy and the Holy Spirit” -Chloe

“Hi, I’m the angel. I’m also at the birth of Jesus. I see others watching the birth of Jesus. They look happy to see the Savior! I hear the baby crying and people are singing Amen! I smell animals that live there, like an ox. I also smell lovely spices. The birth of Jesus is exciting.” -Riley

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What Christmas Means to Us

What Christmas Means to Us

Nick Rosenberger
When asked “What does Christmas mean for you?” Pope Francis replied, “Christmas is God’s meeting with his people…it speaks of tenderness and hope.” This Christmas season, we hope our students serve as a reminder of what it means to proceed in tenderness and hope. Merry Christmas!
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Love and Family and Friends
Celebrating Jesus and Family Time
Giving Presents Making Cookies
Jesus’ Birthday and Presents
Happiness
Joyful and Being with My Family