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How this close-knit Catholic school community thrives now · Beyond The Beacon

• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: Join us for weekly conversations about our Catholic faith, and together let's strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm Jay Agnish.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: Bishop Kevin, how are you today?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: I'm good, Jay.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: How are you?
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Doing well, thanks.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: So we have another remote episode here.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: We are in Parsipony here.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: We're at St.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: Anne's Parish.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: We are with some students and faculty of All Saints Academy, which is located in Parsippony, and they are temporarily holding class here at St.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: Anne's because of some renovations that are happening at their parish.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: But uh so we're excited to be here.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we're gonna have the principal and the uh the teacher of the media and some students on, and we're gonna we have Catholic Schools Week is is coming up right around right next week.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: So what is uh what's going on with with you, Bishop?
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_02: How how how are you?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um good, thank you.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Today I remember my mom in a special way whose name was Agnes, and today's the Feast of St.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Agnes.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's also the feast of our Lady of Alta Gracia, the patroness of the Dominican Republic.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as a seminarian, I had a chance to go to the Dominican Republic and have had a few times to go since many people from the Dominican Republic live in Patterson and in our diocese.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: And uh isn't that where you learn to speak Spanish?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's where I started.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um but and uh um was very relieved and happy to know that um baseball is very, very popular in the Dominican Republic, so that helped her out.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, certainly some good ball players have come from San Pedro de Macorís is one of the famous places.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, well, before we get too much further, why don't we open up in prayer?
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: So um we're with this, they'll introduce themselves, you can introduce them later, but Mrs.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Gonzalez, the principal, right?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, sir.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And Grace and Matthew, both in eighth grade.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: No, fifth grade, right.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: So, and we have some of uh the students here with us in the background so they can uh pray with us when we when we pray the prayer.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: So let us, and in this Jubilee year, we're gonna pray the Jubilee prayer.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Let us pray together the Jubilee prayer.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your Son Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit reawaken in us the blessed hope for the kingdom, coming of your kingdom.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the gospel.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: When with the powers of evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, pilgrims of hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven, may the same great spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: To you, our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise forever and ever.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Our Lady of Alta Grazia, pray for us.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Saint Agnes, pray for us, pray for us.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Pray for us, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 3:46
  unknown: Amen.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so why don't we do yet do the formal introduction?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: So with us is um to your right is the principal of All Saints Academy, uh, Mrs.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: Leanne Gonzales, and then to her right is a fifth grader, Grace.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Grace, how do you say your last name?
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_08: Quiet Kowski.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_02: And to her right, welcome.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: And Matthew, how do you say your last name, Matthew?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: Sinchi.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for being on the on the podcast, both uh fifth graders.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_02: So uh what are we gonna talk about today?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Catholic Schools Week, All Saints Academy, your your favorite subject in school?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Matthew Grace, have you been on a podcast before?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_08: I have not.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: No?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_08: Never.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: No, but you're ready to go, right?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I heard you've done some speaking before, Grace.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_08: I have, yes.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: At churches?
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_08: Yes.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_08: To encourage uh new students to come to our school.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the name of the school again?
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_08: All Saints Academy.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And what's the best thing about being a student at All Saints Academy?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_08: The friends, the teachers, the amazing education, the fun events that we have.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Matthew, what's the best thing from your perspective?
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_05: There's a lot of differences from public schools to all to All Saints Academy.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_05: Like a lot of differences.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_05: In All Saints Academy, we do a lot of things.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_05: We just like to work, work, work.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And what are some of the things that you like doing here at All Saints Academy?
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_05: Like grace and like friends, activities.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: You were saying something before about going to mass.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Do you like that?
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Going to mass?
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: What especially?
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_05: Nah.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_05: Sorry.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_05: That's right, take a time.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_05: Like praying for him.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can pray in class also?
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: So Ms.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Gonzalez, uh, as a principal, what's the best thing about being a principal of our of All Saints Academy?
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: That I get to come to school and see their faces every day.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um they are uh a joy to me and to everyone that encounters them every day.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um I'm pleased to hear that Matthew enjoys going to Mass as much as he does, and Grace has been here since this big.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: So watching everybody grow um into who they're supposed to be and with following their passion and help navigating their faith journey.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: So navigating their faith journey, one of the things that we can learn on the journey of faith is that sometimes we have to realize that things happen in God's time.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I think today might be an example because um we've had contact for some months now about the there's a the the social media technology club here at the school and the possibility of doing something on the podcast and then even coming for a remote, and um all the plans were set, we got a date, and then um one of the great things about our Catholic schools uh going back certainly to the time of the pandemic, um, and uh but all throughout, um uh we we we pray for and and support our public schools.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: We have many good public schools and good teachers, and um, and and they're educating children, which is so important.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: But as Catholics, um especially we want to be able to share our faith, and we can do that um cooperating with parents who are their first teachers in the ways of faith, and parents who make sacrifices to send their uh young people's uh their children to um to a Catholic school, which they're always excited about, right?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh hopefully, if not right away, that appreciated over time, as I certainly did.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but um as principal teachers in a Catholic school, it's more than just a job, it's a vocation.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And um there's an openness to serve not only by teaching in the classroom, but doing whatever is needed to help the school and the students to thrive.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: One example.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh sometimes there's an issue with a fire panel in a school building, right?
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: Can you tell us about that?
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so uh if I have it correct, um well, I I know that the school is usually in St.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Peter's in Parsippony's school building, right?
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: St.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Peter the Impossible, St.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Peter the Apostle.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh that's Father Dave Pickens and the parish there hosts the Academy, which um is uh supported by uh St.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Anne's Parish, where we are here, uh St.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Peter's in Parsipony and St.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Christ, excuse me, St.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Christopher's and also um St.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Pius X of Monteville.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's been happening for a number of years, and the school's been in St.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Peter's, but there was an issue, I think, with the fire panel, and what what happened uh next?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um so what's next?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we took a few days off when we learned of the issue with the fire panel in the building.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: Um we were able to regroup.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_03: Father Joe Garbarino offered us space here, and uh without hesitation, our teachers made the transition um immediately and seamlessly and our students.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Trucks and cars kind of moving.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_03: Trucks and cars literally moving everything, everything's created.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um but our students they met us here the next day.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And communication with parents and parents understanding and being appreciative of finding the solution.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_03: Very supportive of the solution.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um very grateful that we're able to continue in-person instruction seamlessly, and uh it's business as usual, just in a different building.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: The way the building is constructed and the schedule, uh the chapel is in the middle of the school building here, and the students are, I understand, getting to attend mass every day?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: Every day we get to go to mass.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and that's how we start our day with morning mass, and the local parishioners come in, join us.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so we're very thankful to them as well.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: We've kind of um taken some space that that is not usual, but they've been very welcoming to us.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Matt and Grace, can you remember when you first heard that there was an issue with your school building and that you might have to move?
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: And what was it like coming to a new school building in the middle of the year?
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_08: I thought that it was kind of like your first day of school all over again.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_08: And I thought it's a great experience to be in a new environment, kind of like an adventure.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_08: So I really like the transition.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_04: Great.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_05: Funny story on Friday, not me on Thursday.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_05: I went to All Saints Academy.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_05: My dad did not look at the message besides Miss.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_05: I still don't remember the name.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_05: Miss Gonzalez.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_05: And we just went waited, and then we realized where you used to go to St.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Peter's?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: The other building.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: You showed up, and what happened?
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_05: Nobody was there.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then did you say, Oh, had you been here already or not yet?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_05: I've been here for only one mass.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_05: And my dad was like wondering, do we have school?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_05: And then he checks his phone.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_05: I told him to check his phone, and then he says, No, school.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_04: Oh.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_05: And how I felt like coming to the school.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_05: Same as Grace, like I felt.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_05: Like I'm not the only one new to the school.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_05: Because now everybody's new to the school because first time coming here as a school.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_05: So I was overwhelmed now.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm fine.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: How are you feeling now?
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: So Matthew is new to All Saints Academy this year, and he has to come here again and start it all over again, right?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: You never know what adventures God might have in store for us, right?
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so um uh tell me about uh technology.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: You like um technology, social media?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Are you on your phone a lot?
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Do you um or not so much?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_05: I don't have a phone.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, good for you.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: You're better off.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_08: Uh the technology at All Saints is amazing.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_08: They come to interview us all the time and they come to give us like QA's almost, and they do a lot of filming.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: I heard Matthew was featured in your recent newsletter, is that right, Ms.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Gonzalez?
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: He was.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_03: He does we had a little short video put together of um what the students like about being in this building.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: And our eighth grade students filmed him and his recording was later.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: And you didn't know it yet, right?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: You haven't seen it yet?
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna be able to do that.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: The newsletter goes to parents, so great.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: And how many how many churches would you say you've spoken at, uh Grace?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_08: Um three churches, but I've done it about four times.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh is there an open house coming up?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_08: There is on Sunday, yes.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: This coming Sunday?
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_08: Yes, this coming Sunday.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_08: Um 10 to 1:30.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: At um at the St.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: Peter campus, yes.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Right, which is well the return is imminent, right?
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's coming.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um just about ready, right, right.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: So um any day now.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and maybe uh just before we uh make a little change and bring in some others, uh maybe this um a word about uh working with Father Pickens, Father Um Carbarino, um, Father Luis, and Father Mark.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh how has that been for you as a principal working with our pastors?
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's been wonderful to have the support of all four parishes.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um they really encourage us, encourage the students to do their best.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: They uh again navigating their faith, they're there when asked, um, and to offer mass when they can.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: And you you get to see different priests say mass, right?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um well, thank you very much.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: You did a great job.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate you coming on, and uh, you'll hopefully have your family watching you as you become stars, right?
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: So um uh please pray for me for Jay, and um and we'll be praying for you, and uh hopefully uh we'll see you again soon.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_08: Definitely God bless you.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Great job.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, and we're back with some more students and uh the media specialist teacher at All Saints Academy, Mrs.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: Laura Carroll, and to her right is Maggie Van Hoven, is it okay, and then Juliana Lallow, right?
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: Both eighth graders.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, no, sorry, eighth grade and sixth grade for for Maggie.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: And uh Juliana is in Mrs.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: Carroll's um media, what's the name of the class?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_02: Media studies or something?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_07: Just technology.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, or it's their regular technology class that have just been reimagined.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: So we call them the media interns.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome, great.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: How long have you been here at All Saints Academy?
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um this is year 11, I believe.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: And how many years teaching media?
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: All of them.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: All of them, wow, that's great.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh uh, you've seen a few changes over over the years.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yes.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what's the latest that you're um trying to introduce or help the students to be familiar with?
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um are they introducing you to all the things that they're already familiar with?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, in and I think both of these girls can probably attest to it as they get more towards middle school, it becomes they kind of lead the way and tell me where they kind of want to go um with it, and you know, we just make adjustments as we go.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_02: So you have a podcast as one of your main um projects, right?
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we do um we kind of rotate through different media tasks, um, and one of those is a podcast, and depending on the group of students, it looks different.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: So some um, you know, last rotation the students did shorter interview, like shorter in-the-hall interview kind of things.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and next rotation, the podcast group is planning to do, you know, an actual sit-down um style kind of similar to this.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: So it kind of, you know, goes where they want it to.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: Juliana, what do you like about uh media technology?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_07: Um I like that we can use our imagination and really like post what we want because we're from the students' view of the school.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_07: So I like promoting our school.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: So is it something you've been interested in for a long time?
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I've been waiting because I've been here from preschool, so I knew the eighth grade did this kind of stuff.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh are you uh on social media yourself?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: What's your favorite platform?
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_07: Um probably Instagram.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Instagram, right.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um and anybody you follow in particular that um I follow the school account.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: There you go.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and uh I'm gonna come back to you again in a moment, but uh to ask you what's the best thing about being a student at the academy.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um but um uh Maggie, are you uh you're interested in technology and media?
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Any area in particular?
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_06: No, not really.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um Do you use social media yourself or not?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: What do you what do you like?
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_06: I also like Instagram.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_06: It's just like it's just like a scroll.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_06: I don't know if I follow the school account.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you like to follow on Instagram?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um what are some of the best things that you see on Instagram?
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_06: I mostly just like follow like my friends and stuff, so it's just kind of like watching like them like have fun and stuff.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_06: Um like I follow like all my siblings.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: How many siblings?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_06: Four.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, great.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: What number are you?
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_06: The youngest.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, great.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: So you have role models to follow, right?
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: So you both have phones.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: So when did you get your phones?
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: How old are you?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_06: I'm 12.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_06: I just got mine for my 12th birthday.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Happy birthday.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_07: Um, I think I got my first one that I could actually bring anywhere in fifth grade, probably.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um so um how long have you been students here at the academy, from kindergarten or first grade or uh more recently?
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_06: I've been here since pre-K3.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: Pre-K three, wow.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: And uh what would you say, Maggie, is the best thing about being a student here at All Saints Academy?
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_06: Um, I think it's just like like for my personal, like viewpoint?
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_06: Um, like when I like first came, it was just kind of like everyone was just like want to be friends.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_06: Like it was just like very like automatic.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: Do you remember back to pre-K3?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_06: Um a little bit?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_06: A little bit.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_06: Um I remember.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: The feeling from when you came?
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, it was just kind of just like let's be friends.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_06: I don't know.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_06: Like in pre-K four I met one of the my really good friends, Kayla.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_06: She we were just kind of like, hey, you want to be friends just because there's no like thing where it's just like something why you want to be friends with them.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_06: It's just like they're there.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you click on Juliana, well, how long have you been here as a student?
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_07: Uh since preschool, also.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and uh what's the best thing about being a student here at the Academy?
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_07: Um, I think the relationship I have with the teachers, because I've known them for so long, and my friends, because I've been with them forever.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_07: I feel like they're like the first people in my life.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_07: And I really like how we do events on like some schools, like we do tag days and all that.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Which days?
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_07: Tag days where we're tag days.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: What's a tag day?
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_07: Um, it's when we don't get to wear a uniform and we like don't donate money to the school or or any fundraiser that we have.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a big year for you, eighth grade, huh?
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: You have to make a decision about high school?
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you thinking?
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_07: Um probably more as Catholic.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: Stay in a Catholic school.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_07: You're gonna say because that exact reason.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_07: Okay.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_07: Because I want to stay in a Catholic school.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: In a Catholic school, that's great.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um and Mrs.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: Carol.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Carol.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Carol.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what's the best thing about being a teacher at the Academy?
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, there's a lot of things.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um well, for instance, we have this, everyone is so kind of what the girl said, the the relationship and the support system is just fabulous.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's like a little family.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: I taught both of these girls since they were in preschool and their siblings as well.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the relationship you have with people is just special, um, and between faculty members too.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, for instance, this media stuff that I do is not very traditional, but I have such a supportive um administration that is just willing to say, okay, let's try it.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that just makes love extra special.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we see that Father Joe has joined us.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, Father Joe, good to see you.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um we talked at the previous episode or with the group about the big change from a little move from uh uh your usual home at St.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: Peter's here to uh St.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: Anne's.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: What what what stood out for you, Juliana and Maggie, um, in terms of the the move, or the surprise maybe, or um a new adventure, like they said?
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, like it's just like nice like change places for once.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_06: Like like I feel like just like every day we're in the same classroom, but like now it's like a little bit of a change for a minute.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_06: And also I think it's really nice that we get to go to mass every day.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_06: And also, like the middle school gets like pre K buddies to bring to Mass, and I think it's great that they can come with us.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_06: Um And it's just like Are they usually quiet?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Are you teaching them to say their prayers?
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes quiet.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes not exactly.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Juliana?
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_07: Uh for me the switch, it was pretty normal.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_07: It didn't feel any different.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_07: Like the teachers didn't worry us about anything.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_07: It felt very seamless.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_07: And I really like that's a good word, yeah.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_07: I really like going to mass too, because we got usually we go like once a month, but now we get to go like every day.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then what was it like from the faculty side?
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um that initial uh you know, ah, hectic moment, and then you're like, okay, let's just do it, and we did it.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's really it.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you all work together and you do what you have to do, and it again is a little C must kind of.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_01: Once you know you get going, you get going and you just teamwork, right?
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's it, you gotta do what you gotta do.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right, that's right, that's great.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: So um we said also that you have an open house coming up, right?
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um what would you say to someone out there who might be thinking, oh, maybe I should parents thinking maybe their son or daughter could come here, or young person thinking maybe they want to change.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, what would you say to someone thinking about coming to be a student at All Saints Academy?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_07: Um, I think that they should do it.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_07: It's yeah, it's worth it.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_07: I really like it, so yeah.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: They'll be welcomed with open arms?
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: Anything in particular, Maggie?
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, like I've been here my whole life, but um like especially when we get new students, it's kind of just like hey, wanna be friends or something.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_06: Like it's not like you're the new kid.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_06: Like, it's just like I feel like in like movies it's like you're the new kid, I'm not gonna talk to you, but it's just like it's kind of just like everyone's your friend.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: That's right, that's right.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and what would you say to someone could think about coming to the open house?
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, come, we're fun.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: Come, we're fun.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: This is it's a we have fun there.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's just because of that very tight-knit community and family feel.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we're productive and we learn, don't get me wrong, but we're also a lot of fun.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: And and you got Catholic Schools Week coming up, is that right?
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: Anything in particular planned that you I heard something about a uh VIP.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_07: Oh yeah, we can have like we can bring someone to have lunch with us at school.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_07: And like for the whole weekend, we have like a schedule of like different things we can do every day, like new activities and stuff.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm looking forward to it.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: Who are you bringing?
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_07: Um, probably my mom.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, probably my mom.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_00: And uh you'll be doing some posting, I guess, right, for on social media for open house and Catholic schooling.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_06: Oh yes, we will.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_06: I yeah.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_02: So what are your different uh social media or communications channels?
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: Do you have a YouTube?
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: We have a YouTube and we have an Instagram and Facebook.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Is there one that does better than the other for you?
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: It depends on uh the uh the demographic.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_01: I think Facebook hits in a different in a different people than the Instagram hits.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: Are you guys on Facebook?
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_06: No, my dad is.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: I think the students doing Instagram has kind of livened it up a little bit and brought in a whole new kind of uh audience to us, which is fabulous.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_02: And how come, why did you want to get the students involved in these different channels?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: What's what do they learn?
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_02: What are they?
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's we you know, we spend a lot of time talking about digital citizenship and what's media look like, right?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody likes those types, but um, what's media like and how does it affect us?
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: And we kind of said, well, social media is here, it's not going anywhere.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: How do we use it?
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: How can we use it productively and be positive with it?
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's also a lot of just like real life skills.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_01: They have to meet deadlines, um, they have to work together, they have to, you know, uh communicate with the rest of the school and the rest of the faculty and ask for guest speakers on their podcasts.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a lot of real life skills, um, kind of all balled up into one, let's take pictures around the school and have fun.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_02: Digital citizenship, what is what is that?
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um learning to, you know, be a safe citizen when you're in an online space and using the internet appropriately.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Have you heard of algorithms?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: Are you familiar with algorithms?
• 27:34
  unknown: Yes.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_07: Uh yeah.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: Some people are trying to draw you in, right?
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: Excuse me, they they follow what you follow and then they they'll put things up right to you gotta be careful of that, right?
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're um starting early with the help of um uh some experienced uh guides, you can uh uh make it that that safe space, right, that we want it to be.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well, good.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you all for being on.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: It was fun to have you on.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_02: We are we're gonna have one more guest on then, you think, Father Joe?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_02: Or we're gonna put him on the spot?
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: No, okay.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um maybe next time.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we're gonna um invite uh everyone together to do a um the the Jubilee prayer, right?
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: For um Yeah, we'll do.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: So when we wrap up here, we're gonna do a QA with the students here, spend a little time with them, but uh why don't we and then we'll we'll do a social media video, but why don't we go ahead and uh wind down this episode?
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: So thanks again for for being on and Juliana, Maggie, and Miss Carol.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_00: Miss Carol, sorry, thank you, Miss Carroll, thank you very much.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh um hope you have a wonderful Catholic Schools week, and uh Juliana will be praying that you have a good uh eighth grade year, and uh um and uh um Maggie, you'll be in uh uh middle school next year, right?
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh junior high um seventh grade next year, right?
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: Great.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: And Bishop, before we we let you go, um any any uh anything you can offer a word of encouragement or or something you want to reflect on based on anything we've talked about here today, or Catholic schools or Catholic Schools Week, or soft softball.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: As well, as we talked about Ms.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: Gonzalez before, and I know is the case here at All Saints, uh our pastors like um Father Gabrieno and Father Pickens and Father Olnowski and Father Luis, who are um such a support to the um community here, the school community, and uh we need to see that, and it happens, thank God, all over our diocese and our Catholic schools, our Catholic elementary schools and high schools, and we pray for all those involved in Catholic education and just encourage everyone, uh especially in this upcoming Catholic Schools Week, to um uh get the word out about uh our Catholic schools and the opportunities that are there.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: Open houses like here at All Saints, go to our um uh we have uh a Catholic Schools office website where there's plenty of information about a school near you uh and when their open house will be this week of Catholic Schools Week.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh most of our schools will be having those open houses.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: So um invite friends, neighbors, uh uh others to uh consider Catholic education because it it really is a gift.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's been in my own life and uh and it's a challenge in the in these days.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the uh uh challenges that we face are significant, but um we're grateful for schools like Old Saints Academy and our our our pastors, our leaders, um our families and students, our teachers, uh, and uh it's important that we dedicate ourselves to that um support of Catholic education and that it would thrive and flourish and grow here in our diocese.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: So, especially in this coming Catholic Schools week, let's pray um in Thanksgiving for our Catholic schools and that they'll continue to grow and thrive here in our diocese.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_02: So, check the show notes for some links and one more question for you, Bishop.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: Anything you can recommend as far as something you've been listening to, reading, watching?
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh all or nothing, Sister Claire Crockett.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: I did it last time, but uh it's so good.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: Have anybody here heard of Sister Claire Crockett?
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: You've got to hear the story of Sister Claire Crockett um on YouTube.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: You can find her story all or nothing.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's uh it's it's beautiful.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh um uh this coming, well, in a couple of weeks on Saturday, February 1st, we're gonna have the Jubilee for our religious, uh Religious Sisters and Brothers, men and women in consecrated life.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um and uh go to our website to see more information about the Jubilee year.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, learn about indulgences if you haven't already.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: Get your Jubilee indulgence and uh and see the calendar of events and uh that big event coming up um for our uh our Jubilee um for religious on um Saturday, um February 1st at Father Gabrieno's uh previous assignment of St.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: Philip's in Clifton.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be having the Mass for the Jubilee for Religious.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, there you have it.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you for joining us.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating.
• 32:01
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• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: Email questions and podcast topic ideas to beyond at pattersondioces.org and discover our other podcasts, Coffee with Kupke and the Paul Street Journal.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_02: See you next time.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks everybody.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks to the students.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: Let's give yourselves a round of applause.