Catholic schools strive to integrate high-quality education in a faith-based atmosphere, and this combination is most prevalent during the Christmas season. While most students are excited about the presents that will be waiting under the tree, the schools helps them focus on the true meaning of the season.
Here, we meet three local Catholic school principals who tell us how they and their staff work to deliver this message.
Tina Forsythe - St. Paul on the Lake Catholic School, Grosse Pointe
Before becoming the principal of St. Paul on the Lake Catholic School, Tina Forsythe was a teacher. Today, she enjoys leading the school and spreading the message of Jesus, especially during the Christmas season.
"We always keep the birth of Jesus at the center of the holiday," she says. "We have Advent wreaths in school and classrooms, and we focus on what each candle means as it's lit. We talk about Mary and Joseph, and the Three Wise Men and the gifts they bring."
This message is incorporated throughout the classrooms and parish. "This way, it's not just about Santa Claus and the gifts—it's about Jesus."
The school also presents a Christmas concert at the beginning of December so children can sing to their families. "We have some traditional Christmas songs, some Christ-centered ones, and then some fun ones as well," says Tina.
During the month, the school celebrates giving to others. "This year, we will do a raffle to raise money for charity. One of our school families donated a 93-inch bear, and one of our students thought it would be great as a fundraiser."
The church also has a giving tree full of ornamental tags showing what people in the community need. "We are all about service, so we encourage our families to take a tag and purchase these items for families in need."
A pancake breakfast is also held the day before Christmas break to bring families together to celebrate.
At home, Tina enjoys celebrating with her husband Jim, 26-year-old daughter Alexis, and sons Patrick, 26, and Jacob, 22. "The first thing you see when you come through our front door is our Nativity scene," she says. "I also collect Santas, and we love to decorate."
One of their beloved traditions is attending the Greenfield Village Christmas Walk. "It's all decorated for Christmas, and my absolute favorite part is going into the Greenville Village Chapel."
On Christmas Eve, the family attends mass; on Christmas day, they gather with other loved ones to celebrate.
Ann Diamond - Regina High School, Warren
Ann Diamond has a long history with Regina High School. She's been a student, a teacher, and now a principal. "I really feel like this is where I learned to be my true self and be empowered to be anything I want to be," she says.
Celebrating the beginning of the Christmas season at Regina is always exciting. At the beginning of December, an Advent wreath is displayed, and a candle is lit every week in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. "The students are always reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas," says Ann.
St. Nicholas Day is another tradition held at the beginning of the month. "Our girls wear saddle shoes and hang one shoe on their locker. Then, St. Nick comes and leaves treats in their shoes."
The staff also does a Secret Santa with the students, followed by a breakfast at which they can all share what they received and learn the identities of their secret Santas.
To bring the joy of Christmas outside of the school, Regina's choral ensemble goes into the community to sing carols and brighten people's day.
Ann believes one of the most important messages she, her staff, and the parish get across is being of service. "We remind them that the season centers around love, generosity, and togetherness rooted in the birth of Jesus," she says. We want to reflect on the values of kindness, compassion, and goodwill."
One way the school does this is by helping local families in need. "Last year, we adopted, I believe, eight families and collected presents for them because here at Regina, we want to make sure everyone is able to celebrate Christmas."
This giving also extends into Ann's personal life. She and her husband Ken, along with their four boys—Blaise, Jax, Gage, and Slade—aged 15 to 21—celebrate Advent and adopt a family of their own. They also take ornaments, or tags, off the Christmas tree at church to buy things for those who need them.
" Regina is a place where we celebrate joy and hope and are grateful for what we have," she says. "I teach that at home as well."
Sarah Hensien - St. Clare of Montefalco, Grosse Pointe
Sarah Hensien strongly believes in the foundation of faith, faith-building, and leadership that Catholic education offers. St. Clare of Montefalco, which will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary, was a perfect fit for her.
Every year, the school has a theme that runs through everything it does, and this year's theme is "Love one another as you wish to be loved." This message is especially poignant at Christmas.
"We celebrate the birth of Jesus and try to bring hope to all around us," she says. "One of the various ways we do this is by focusing on the four pillars of Advent: hope, peace, love, and joy."
Every morning during December, students gather around an Advent wreath in the main hallway to sing, share readings, and light the candles on the wreath. "It's really beautiful to hear all the voices singing and sharing readings, which stay with the kids," says Sarah.
Instead of ornaments, the huge Christmas tree that hangs on the wall has cutouts of students' hands. The purpose of doing this, she says, is to instill a sense of gratitude for what they have. "They write something they're grateful for on one of the hands, and then on the other, they write a person or group of people that they're praying for. It's a beautiful reminder of why we celebrate the season."
There's also a school-wide Christmas concert held in the church for family members. Like the other schools, they celebrate St. Nicholas Day by asking the students to leave their shoes in the hallway so St. Nick can leave candy canes and chocolates in them.
To give back, the student council organizes a hat and glove drive, which distributes the items to those in the community who need them. The church also has a giving tree to help others have a happy Christmas.
At home, Sarah plans to celebrate the holiday with her family. "In the past, we've celebrated with my parents, but they both passed in the last year, so my husband John, my son Jack, and my daughter Anna are going to celebrate quietly by first going to church, then coming home to listen to music by the Christmas tree and just sit by the fire."
"We always keep the birth of Jesus at the center of the holiday," says Tina.
"The students are always reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas," says Ann.