Dear Parishioners,

BE WHO GOD MEANT YOU TO BE AND
YOU WILL SET THE WORLD ON FIRE!

Our Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Elementary School opened this year on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, with 307 students in grades K -8! There are two classrooms for each grade. That is approximately seventeen students for each classroom. IHM has always wanted a smaller classroom size for educating the students. It helps teachers to ensure that each student can excel according to their needs. IHM has a Bright Beginnings Pre-School of twenty children in one classroom.

Teachers met earlier in August to pray and reflect on the teacher-minister role that they have and developed the catholic theme for the school year, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on Fire.”

Teachers take the responsibility to utilize the theme in their classroom discussions with prayer and conversation with the students as to what that theme means to them.

Remember that Catholic identity is important to each teacher as they work with students that share the catholic faith as well as with other students that have different faiths.

Parents of our students who choose a catholic private elementary school for their children all say, “We want our children to be in a catholic environment.” I am incredibly happy about that.

This past year the pastors of our area parishes, Saint Joseph, Holy Family, Our Lady of Victory, and Saint Eugene collaborated with the principals from here and Holy Family to develop a Memorandum of Understanding.

This MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) promotes the importance of catholic identity with the collaboration of the five pastors and parishioners to succeed and strengthen the two schools, IHM and Holy Family, in this essential regard as well as promoting and obtaining successful principals and teachers, and marketing enrollment.

Many blessings,
Father Jim