February 19, 2013

Dear St. Agnes Family,

Thank you all for the condolences I received due to my sister’s death. It was a sad time for us, but she was ready. The last few years she was wheelchair bound. She lost her husband, Nick, nine years ago. They loved to dance. She kept telling us that she was looking forward to dancing with Nick. So after her death, we all pictured her dancing with Nick and leaving her broken body behind. That image was very comforting.

Our condolences go out to the Girard family on the death of their wife/mother grandmother, Betty. Betty taught art at St. Agnes for several years. She was a fixture around here and will be missed.

Yesterday we had the opportunity of hearing Temple Grandin speak. Temple Grandin, was a brilliant young woman coping with the stigma of autism at a time when it was misunderstood. With the support of her family, Temple dedicated herself to learning and becoming a famed animal behaviorist. Her passion for animals gives her a unique ability to understand them. She fulfills her love of education by teaching about autism and the most humane ways to treat livestock and pets. If you have Netflix there is a movie entitled Temple Grandin that you can watch. It is a wonderful movie.  One of her quotes was, ”I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher.” She attributes much of her success to the teachers she had in her life. She also stated that, “There is no single magic bullet. A treatment method or and educational method that will work for one child may not work foranother. “ She gave us a great deal of information to think about and to try. It was a beneficial afternoon for all who work with children.

Congratulations to our basketball boys on a very successful season. They won the tournament in Ogallala this past Saturday. They conducted yourselves in a manner that made me proud. Thank you to the coaches, Kevin Oligmueller and J.J. Smith, for sharing your time and effort.

If you have pictures of outside activities and would like them put into the year book, please bring them to school and givethem to Bernie Girard. This includes pictures of dance, 4-H, rodeo , club volleyball or basketball. Most outside activities will qualify. We want your pictures.

Sincerely,

Theresa Parker, Principal