Richard F. Houlihan, 1929-2008

My father, Richard Houlihan, was called home to the Lord on Saturday evening. Although our grief is deep, we are all secure in the knowledge that he is at peace in heaven, with no more suffering or pain. My father was a great man, full of laughter and life, and I don't think he ever met someone he didn't immediately like! He loved to tell stories - he was an Irishman through and through. (We even have a book we wrote, filled with Grandpa's favorite sayings and stories). My dad is survived by my mother, Margaret, 9 children and their spouses, 22 grandchildren, three brothers, 1 sister, and was predeacesed by three grandchildren (whom he now joins in heaven). Your prayers during his illness were greatly appreciated.

Your Prayers are Needed

Please keep my father, Richard Houlihan, in your prayers. He is in Intensive Care at Henry Ford Hospital following bypass surgery. He has had several complications, and we are quite worried. The prayers of the children are especially appreciated - we told my dad before surgery that he had over 1000 children praying for him, between St. Paul children and the children at my sister's school - and I know that meant so much to him. Thank you all for your kindness.

Lord Stanley's Cup Comes to St. Paul!

We had a great deal of excitement at St. Paul School this morning, as the Stanley Cup made a visit to our gym!! All of the students were asked to come directly to the gymnasium, and we were able to display the Stanley Cup. Talk about an exciting way to begin the school week! We are deeply grateful to the Boyer family for arranging for this very special visit. Mr. Boyer is the Equipment Manager for the Red Wings.

What's TAP?

One of the first questions students often have about our junior high program is, "What is TAP? What do you do in TAP?" TAP stands for "Thursday Advisory Program," and it's a program designed to help our students make new friends across grade levels, and develop a relationship with one adult who will be their TAP leader all year long. The students above are in my TAP group this year. TAP groups are formed through the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit, and I'm pretty excited about the group that my prayers formed this year! TAP leaders consist of all the junior high homeroom and specials teachers, administrators, and Religious Education staff.

Yesterday all the junior high students (and most of their TAP leaders) attended an all-day team building activity, beginning with Mass and continuing at Total Sports. Although I was unable to attend, I talked with the staff on Friday evening, and all of them were so impressed with the students and how helpful and kind they were to each other all day long! 

Leadership Council

Each semester, students from each homeroom are selected to lead St. Paul School as members of our Leadership Council. The photo above shows the members of the Leadership Council for the fall semester, 2008. These students represent the student body and plan projects that will enhance our Catholic school experience through service to others. 

St. Paul Distinguished Teacher Named

At last Wednesday's Back to School Night, Miss Sharon Conroy was honored as the St. Paul Distinguished Teacher for 2008. Miss Conroy teaches all-day kindergarten, and this year marks her 40th year as a St. Paul teacher! The Distinguished Teacher award is sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association, and is presented to the teacher, selected by his or her peers, who best exemplifies the characteristics of an outstanding Catholic educator. Miss Conroy's dedication and love for her students certainly mark her as a model educator. 

Allergies and School

One of the purposes of any blog is to serve as a journal or "web - log" (hence, "blog") for the author. Although I'm new to the whole idea of maintaining a blog, it does seem that this forum may provide some insight into the ministry of school administration, and the many challenges that come with it.

As I mentioned at this week's "Back to School Night" event, this year we have twelve children in our school with severe allergies (all ages, kindergarten through junior high). Although many food allergies can be managed through a program of strict avoidance of the allergen, reading food labels, and thoroughly washing hands, peanut allergies are different. Children with allergies to nuts can have a severe reaction if they have even the slightest contact with nut residue.

We have a 40+ page policy handbook for managing food allergies in school. We have laminated charts with photos of the children with severe allergies, so that all will recognize them. We have designated their classrooms, and all of the specials' classrooms, as "no nuts allowed" rooms. All staff have been trained in the use of an epi-pen, and how to recognize symptoms of anaphylactic shock. We have two peanut-free tables in the lunchroom which are cleaned with separate cleaning supplies.

In spite of all this, one of our kindergarteners still had a peanut reaction last week (he was treated with an antihistamine and is fine). Apparently, he touched something on the playground that had been touched by a child with peanut residue on their hands from lunch. The School Committee will be discussing the issue of peanut allergies at this week's meeting, but I welcome parent input as well. The question: should we make the entire school a "no nuts allowed" environment? (Yes, I know, but I can't send ALL the teachers home!)

While this question can't be decided by "popular vote," I do welcome parent input as we review our policies for the safety of all our children. Our school allergy handbook is now available on "Edline," under the "News" category. I encourage all families with questions about our policies to review this handbook.

Junior High and Lunchtime

As a former junior high teacher, I always look forward to lunchtime with the junior high students. Each junior high "class" of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders has their own personality, and this year's group of 135 young adults is no exception. As you can tell from the pictures above, they have a great time together on the playground! They seem to be the kind of class that is enthusiastic, energetic, and willing to try something new. I witness them - every day - being kind and welcoming to each other, and to the adults around them. They readily volunteer to help, and I know that this is going to be an outstanding year.

Preschool Begins

Our three and four year old preschool classes began school this week. Stopping in at preschool is always the very best part of my day: they let me read with them, sing with them, and play in the sand with them. Sometimes we even have snacks - what could be better?? (Sometimes Mrs. Hindelang even squirts me with a squirt gun - but that's another story, for another day!)

As any "experienced" parent knows, however, the first days of preschool can be a period of adjustment (I vividly remember crying harder than my three-year-old did on the first day). Not so for this year's class, as you can see from the pictures above! This year's three year olds looked like they were old pro's at this "going to school" business.

Book Fair Week Continues

Our book fair continues all this week. I hope everyone will have a chance to stop in at the book fair during tonight's Back to School Event. Mrs. McNeill has some great books for every age - adults included!

World's Foremost Authority on St. Paul Visits Our Parish

Jerome Murphy O'Connor, O.P., will be speaking at St. Paul (in the GPA Fieldhouse) next Friday, September 12, at 7 p.m. This Dominican father and world-renowned expert on the life of St. Paul will help us learn more about the life of our patron. A recent article in US Catholic Magazine  shares some of Fr. O'Connor's thoughts about the study of St. Paul, through the New Testament and his letters.

Parish Picnic Dodges the Rain

Last night's Parish Picnic at the Pier Park was a resounding success - great food (steaks and hot dogs), great friends, and lots of fun to be had by all. In spite of low clouds and a brief shower, the rain held off and we had a great time. Several St. Paul teachers rounded up a delicious potluck, as seen in the photo below.

Some of our young people put together an impromptu game of volleyball, cheerfully ignoring any raindrops that started to fall.

Our pastor, Msgr. Halfpenny, helps the children playing on one of the giant inflatables.

Two of our valiant volunteers sell tickets at the picnic.

Web 2.0 - Look for it at St. Paul this year

Have you heard of Web 2.0? I think many of us have not - we assume that the Internet is simply a place we go to find information. Although I can't imagine what I did B. G. (Before Google), the Internet is a living organism, constantly evolving and changing. It can be hard to keep up with the speed and the direction of that change. Wikipedia describes Web 2.0 as "changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity, information sharing, and collaboration among users."

In school, we want to make sure that our students know how to properly use the tools of Web 2.0 so that they're prepared for their future. It's one of the reasons I've started writing this blog - to show our students one small way that technology can enable us to build bridges with others, to communicate in an authentic voice, and to share our faith with the wider community.

Wikipedia is a great example of Web 2.0: an encyclopedia, completely open, edited by millions around the world, it has far surpassed any published encylopedia for depth and breadth of information. Blogs, social networking sites, and podcasts are all other ways that people connect and share information. The Whispers in the Loggia blog (see the link on the right side of this page) is a great example of a blog that provides current, relevant, high quality information for Catholics around the world. I read it every day!

Five of our teachers were selected to participate in the Michigan Tech Champions project this summer. They'll be sharing their new knowledge with their students this year, in a safe and secure environment. Look for the good work they'll be doing (and sharing with their colleagues) during this school year. I know you'll be as excited as I am about the possibilities.

Book Fair

Each year, during the first full week of school, Mrs. McNeill (in conjunction with Scholastic Book Services) hosts a Book Fair for the children and families of St. Paul. The books were delivered yesterday, and (as you can see from the photo) it takes an amazing amount of work to put together the book fair. I vividly remember "Scholastic book order day" when I was a student at St. Gertrude School in St. Clair Shores. I was an avid reader, even in grade school, and the day those books arrived was always my favorite day at school. Although we didn't have a lot of money (I was the oldest of nine children, remember) my mom always seemed to be able to give me a couple of dollars to buy some books. I think I need to give Scholastic Books some of the credit for my academic successes - I'm still a fast, avid reader, and I don't go anywhere without a couple of books! I hope you'll stop by at least once to browse the Book Fair and support your children's recreational reading. The Book Fair will be open all week, as well as during Back to School Night. All profits from the Book Fair go directly to the St. Paul library program to purchase new books and magazines.

Cardinal Szoka to Celebrate Mass at St. Paul

I'm very excited to announce that His Eminence, Edmund Cardinal Szoka, will be the celebrant for the 10 am Mass at St. Paul on Sunday, September 14. This Mass will be the opening of our Jubilee Year, celebrating 175 years of faith in our parish community. What an outstanding way to kick off the celebration!

The First Day of School

What a perfect first day of school! The sun is shining, the children are smiling, and the teachers are excited about welcoming their new students to a new school year. We've had a beautiful first day, and we're looking forward to a great year. Remember to check your child's backpack for all the important "First Day of School" paperwork. Of course, we'll have our weekly blue letter on Thursday with all the good news.