sat down with our principal, Mrs. McLaughlin, to talk about the exciting start to the school year. We discussed goals, our community, and overall what has made the school year positive. To start off, I asked Mrs. McLaughlin about the highlights of the school year so far. She responded that generally speaking, our students seem very calm, ready for the school-year, and goal-oriented. She noted that the school has had a good few years with everyone back in school, and no longer focused on all the disruptions caused by COVID-19. She also gave the eighth grade and junior high a special shoutout, for having a solid group of kids who really set positive examples. Mrs. McLaughlin is very proud of our teachers! Our teachers are returning teachers, which she says gives them a sense of confidence in their ability to be effective in the classroom, and be leaders in our faith. In the classroom “with experience comes expertise.” She thinks we’re set up for a good year. A goal our principal wants for this year is to raise Saints. She says we need to remember that we’re raising Saints everyday. Growing into being a Saint is not just for our faculty, but our parents and students too. “If we can get them closer to that everyday I think that is what we’re here for.” - Mrs. McLaughlin. She wants to share a message about the exceptional energy behind Jordan. She told me this energy has everything to do with our families and home and school organization. Their focus is on fellowship and not only fundraising. We will start to see more of their efforts as the school year proceeds. We can live out our Catholic values at school by showing respect. Mrs. McLaughlin said that showing respect to our teachers and our staff is most certainly an act of God and not only that, but showing respect to one another. Mrs. McLaughlin’s favorite thing about being the principal of a small, K-8 Catholic school is being able to be present. We are kind of a unique school, in our diocese we are a bigger school, but compared to public schools we’re definitely a lot smaller. Our size allows her to be active in almost all the different aspects of our school. Mrs. McLaughlin’s favorite subject when she was young was reading, then as she got older it became French, which she eventually majored in. She actually didn’t start off as a very good reader, but she still loved doing it. One of her favorite memories from her school days was an end-of-day tradition. When the final bell rang, all the students had to immediately stop whatever they were doing and freeze in place. She said it was really funny, and joked that maybe we should do it sometime! It's clear that Mrs. McLaughlin’s dedication makes a big impact on our school. Her leadership encourages us to bring out the best in both students and teachers. Thank you Mrs. McLaughlin!
By: Carolyn DeMarlie.