Community Building

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

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

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

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.