January/February 2021

Mr. Braunscheidel once asked me how I visualize the yearly calendar. I immediately pictured and drew the circle of the year I have seen in my mind since childhood, with various markings for seasons, holidays and important events. Throughout that day, we asked others to explain what they saw in their minds when they pictured where they were in the calendar year. Some also had immediate answers, drawings and descriptions, while others struggled to think of something.
No matter how you see the calendar, I think we can universally agree that January 1st is a time for new beginnings, especially now in this unprecedented Covid and political climate. It’s a time when people attempt to lose weight, end bad habits and hopefully begin good ones. For some reason, it seems easier to us to have a more definitive beginning point such as the new calendar year, even though a large percentage of New Years’ resolutions fade away by the month of February. When we went remote last March, I decided to devote much of my time to baking. I could write an entire newsletter about my love of baking, as could our own professional student baker, Reece Schenfield, who is much better than me. By July, my always extremely low cholesterol was high, as was my families. Whoops. My sister Peg the dietician told us to eat no more than 15 grams of saturated fat each day to lower cholesterol. We approached this goal with a vengeance, and within 3 months, had all lowered our cholesterol and each lost ten pounds. I do miss cakes and Paula’s Donuts, but it’s better to be healthy. This example reminds me of academic issues for some of our young men at St. Francis High School.
 
Maybe you remember the old commercial where the child is arguing with his mom about homework and she says, “Saying and doing it are two different things.” I have thought of that phrase many times in my ten years here, especially in regards to freshmen. It may be the first time in their academic lives that they have really had to study to get good grades, and they have had to do part of that remotely. It is not coming as easily as it did in eighth grade. The work is different and more difficult, and they need a plan. It also reminds me of the Scripture from the book of James that tells us that faith without works is dead.
 
At St. Francis, we have several things in place that can help your sons develop a plan and stick to it, even during Covid. One young man who was struggling and failing and finally got a good grade on a test. He was overjoyed, as were his family, his counselor and myself. I asked him what he had done differently on this test, and he looked me square in the eye and said, “I studied.” Ahhh…Ok…now we’re getting somewhere. But what does studying really mean? Our teachers stay after school every day to work with students, and they can help them find the right studying technique for them, even remotely. Things like studying a little every night, rewriting important key words from the reading, making flash cards, making up songs or rhymes, studying with a friend or talking the points out loud at home, and re-reading notes on the way to school, or before they get into bed. Studying is not magic. It takes time and it takes a plan. If you need help or advice, please contact our teachers, our counselors or our administrators, and we will help you find the right plan and help your son stick to it. I have found some good recipes for low fat cakes, but of course did treat myself to a REAL Kaylena Marie’s cake last week on my birthday. It feels good to be successful with the things you resolve to do on January 1st. I wish you a happy and blessed NEW Year!

Dr. Mary Lou Stahl, Assistant Principal
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Success Begins at St. Francis