St. Jude Regional Catholic School in Aspen Hill opened for the new school year on Aug. 30. St. Jude is supported by the parishes of Shrine of St. Jude, St. Francis of Assisi in Derwood and Our Lady Queen of the Americas in Northwest Washington, D.C. The school offers classes for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. St. Jude is located 4820 Walbridge St. and can be reached at 301-946-7888 or MainOffice@StJudeRockville.

‘A day I will remember for many years’

The alarm sounded at 6:14 a.m., which was purely a reminder I needed to get out of bed as I had been awake for some time. I kissed my wife goodbye, and let my daughters sleep, as I embarked on the next chapter of my life.

As I arrived at St. Jude Regional Catholic School it seemed calm in anticipation of the children’s arrival. I paced the hallways, peeking in classrooms witnessing the hard work that the teachers put into decorating the rooms and hallways.

Parents and children began to fill the parking lot, finding their classmates and friends. New parents carefully observed the masses and moved into place. Before I knew it the bell had rung and my first day of school as a principal was under way. The school gathered to pledge their allegiance to the flag and recite the school prayer, a truly moving experience.

As I greeted each student it became clear why I was here: these children have such wonder in their hearts and minds. Their teachers escorted all of them to their rooms and the learning commenced. I walked the building observing the faculty embrace this year’s batch of young minds. I couldn’t resist, and I popped in to a couple of classes just to feel the energy that I remembered as a teacher on the first day.

As the day came to a close and parents once again began to gather in the parking lot, I felt relieved. I had made it through the first day of school as a principal. The orchestra of the parking lot was quite impressive, between the bells and the whistles, and the anxious parents wanting to gather their children and continue their day.

It is now 1:24 p.m., and I write this in my office which is ominously quiet. A wonderful day, a day I will remember for many years. I look towards the future at St. Jude Regional Catholic School and it is so very bright. It is my hope that I can share that light with all I encounter. We are ... St. Jude!

Glenn Benjamin is the new principal at St. Jude Regional Catholic School in Aspen Hill. He assumed his new role July 1.

‘Determined to enjoy my last year as a proud Bulldog’

My name is Xavier Daschner, and I am an eighth-grader at St. Jude Catholic School. The end of this year will mark a decade of me attending St. Jude. I have been going there since I was four, just a little preschooler who was curious about this whole “school” thing. Now I’m starting eighth grade and looking ahead at this “high school” thing.

Although high school is a big deal, I am determined to enjoy my last year as a proud Bulldog. It should be very interesting, mainly because of a new principal and the many changes he has already brought.

Our new principal is Mr. Glenn Benjamin, a former St. John’s High School teacher who has brought many new ideas into the school. This is a very dramatic change for me because I have only had one principal in my life, our old principal Ms. [Mary Ellen] Jordan. She was a great person, but I am still glad to experience someone new. Our school has gone through numerous changes since Mr. Benjamin arrived. Our school uniform has been changed, most notably by a new school shoe. Also, St. Jude was repainted. Our schedule was changed as well. Mr. Benjamin has told us to expect many more changes, all of which I am excited about.

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I didn’t know what to expect from the upcoming year. The class list I had received looked like a lot of fun, mostly because it included many of my best friends, and I expected many exciting things, including the annual eighth grade field trip to Hershey Park.

When I arrived, I was greeted by my friends, all of whom were thrilled about the new school year. We were also curious to know if we would like our new principal and Spanish teacher. Our principal shook each of our hands as we entered the school.

My homeroom teacher, who I have known and loved for years, greeted us and talked to us about her expectations for the eighth grade, and also how we are the role models for the rest of the school. She also talked about how much fun we would have with her and our other teachers. We received our schedules and headed off for classes.

I have our new teacher for two periods, and she is fast becoming one of the class’s favorites. My other teachers, although not new, are still very enjoyable and are excited for the new year. At the end of the day, our teacher passed around brownies and red velvet cake she had made for us. She also told us she had kept a drawer in her desk for snacks to have during homeroom. Things like this make our school even more fun than it already is.

I love St. Jude, as I always have and always will, and I hope you will come and catch our spirit, too!

‘From sleeping in and sandals to teachers and tests’

Monday, Aug. 29, 11 p.m.: The news is on. The kids are asleep. The backpacks are filled and hung up, ready for tomorrow, the first day of a new school year. Well, that’s not entirely true. Naomi’s pink backpack is on the floor, under the spot where her hook used to be. Jackets and a full backpack and another plastic bag holding the fairy nap towel were just too much. It was the nap towel that did it.

Matthias is entering the fourth grade. He says he’s excited, but remains in search of a school that offers library every day.

Nathaniel is going to be a second-grader. He believes that school exists for him to be social and that doing schoolwork is something he must endure in order for him to have recess.

And then there is Naomi. Naomi starts kindergarten tomorrow.

As I was getting out uniforms tonight, I cried a little. My Dad (God bless his soul) always used to say to me, “I love you so much, it hurts sometimes.” I never knew what that meant until I had children. I haven’t had a child enter kindergarten for two years and now I remember that little bit of hurt, although the excitement that Naomi feels makes it seem better.

Naomi warms my heart because she is a giver. She has her moments, like any other 5-year-old, but the way that she gives so freely to others isn’t something we’ve had to teach her, it’s just a part of who she is.

Before we had children, Rich and I were at Mass at St. Jude’s and the priest was speaking about giving. He said that the more we empty ourselves by giving to others, the more room we leave inside us for God.

If I have any wish for all five of our children, whether in school or not yet, whether innate or learned, it is that they have a spirit of giving. Naomi, right before she went to sleep tonight, told me that she just wishes to be a St. Jude Bulldog.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 6:30 a.m.: I am in the kitchen getting breakfast out for everyone and in walks Naomi with her typical “Good morning, Mom.” I turn around to say good morning back and her hair is COMPLETELY wild. My thought is: Her first day of kindergarten can’t be a bad hair day, too! But, I save the hair-brushing talk for later, she gives me a big hug, and heads into our family room for the usual morning banter with her siblings of who got up first, who got up second, etc. It really seems like any other day is beginning, but the first day of a new school year is here.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 9:45 a.m.: It seems quiet here with only two little ones at home. I miss the three who are at school. I wish I knew what they are doing and how they are doing, but I had better be careful for what I wish for, because today is a half-day at school and in just two hours, I’ll be getting all sorts of information about how our lives will be changing from sleeping in and sandals to teachers and tests.

It was a fantastic summer, with time at the pool and the beach, with trips to aquariums and museums. We had fun. We learned. And most importantly, we spent time together. But, I feel like we were able to get almost all that we could from summer vacation and now it’s time to move on. I’m not tired of having my children around (yes, I really just wrote that) and I don’t think that they are tired of me (of course, I could be kidding myself), but change leads to growth. Mentally, physically and spiritually, they are ready for that.

Like any parent of school-aged children, I want my children to be loved and accepted for who they are, by both teachers and classmates. But, at the same time, I want them to be challenged to be the best that they can be. This is asking for a lot, but I think that the teachers and staff of St. Jude’s have a lot to give. So, this school year, as I pray for my children, I pray for their good health, their happiness, and oh yes, limited trips to the principal’s office.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 1 p.m.: My children are all home. It feels good to have them back, even though they have already eaten lunch, given me the shortest version possible of this morning’s events at school, and scattered to various parts of our house doing activities of their own choosing.

When we dropped Matthias, Nathaniel and Naomi off at school this morning, they were happy. When I picked them up this afternoon, they were happy. There is a part of me that longs for each day to be so simplistic and easy for them. But, I know that if they are not pushed out of their comfort-zone and into more challenging endeavors, they will not learn and become all that God intends them to be.

Matthias has already given the librarian a list of books that he would like to see purchased for the school library this school year. Nathaniel told me that he spoke to the principal today, but not because he was in trouble. And Naomi came out of her first day of kindergarten smiling. When I asked her why, she told me it’s because she’s finally a Bulldog.

— Andrea Barish

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