Summer is over. For students and teachers, school administrators, and substitute teachers, that is. Now, it's the opening of school year 2012-2013. It's back to school again, the business of teaching/learning in the world of education.
To all of you, teachers, private or public, home-schooled, and substitute teachers as well, I thank you for your devotion and dedication to education. I thank you for your commitment and professionalism. And I wish you the best, and good luck! May you have all the strength and wisdom, the knowledge and skills, excellent health and well-being, compassion and passion, with Love to do your job! To all parents and school volunteers, I thank you for all your services and sacrifices. To all of our students, both private and public, and chartered or home-schooled, I wish you all the best, too! May you continue to learn as much as you can, to use your time wisely and productively, and physically and socially, as you embark another wonderful and exciting school year!
As one of the many readers of one extraordinary Catholic blogger, a Concord, MA, pastor-priest from the Archdiocese of Boston, Rev. Fr. Austin Fleming, I'd like to share with you, my dear folks and friends, and valued (accidental) readers of my blog his back to school prayers from his blog, posted 09August2012. (Fr. Fleming, I ask your forgiveness if I didn't have the time to contact you, asking permission to share with others your prayers. Hope and pray you understand. Thank you so much, Father. May God bless you, always, with so much wisdom and good health to continue spreading The Word and your inspiring and inspirational daily prayers and thoughts.)
Here's A Student's Prayer and A Parent's Payer for Students by Fr. Austin Fleming...
A Student's Prayer
Dear God,
Help me remember that you're always by my side
at school and all day long.
Help me be the best student I can be,
using all the gifts and talents you've given me.
Help me study well and often
especially when I don't feel like studying at all!
Help me finish all my homework-on time.
Help me listen to my teachers and coaches.
Help me play fair and play safely,
Help me be honest when I'm tempted to cheat.
Help me always tell the truth.
Help me be kind to everyone at school
and to treat others as I'd want them to treat me.
Help me make good friends
and help me be a good friend to others.
Help me know how I can help others
and to ask for help when I need it myself.
Help me love and respect, trust and appreciate my parents
and to be honest with them.
Help me remember that you're with me always, Lord,
and that you'll never leave my side.
Amen.
-Concord Pastor.blogspot.com
A Parent's Prayer for Students
Dear Lord,
As my children leave for school,
I pray that you will keep them in your care.
Send your Spirit to open their minds
to all that is true and beautiful and good.
Help them to see the gifts and talents
you have given them to use them well.
Help them to grow in knowledge and wisdom.
Help them to be kind to others
and lead others be kind to them.
Give their teachers patience and understanding
and help them teach what is just and true.
Send your angels to guide and guard my children
and to keep them from all harm.
Open their young hearts to your presence
and enfold them in your peace and protection.
Hold them in the palm of your hand
and bring them home safely at day's end.
Amen.
-ConcordPastor.blogspot.com
Today, Tuesday, is the first official school day for my teacher-wife Freny and her students at Public High School. She said she's ever-ready for all the challenges that school year 2012-2013 brings. She looks forward to a new school year with a new principal, and fellow caring and helpful co-teachers, with fun and excitement, teaching and imparting knowledge and skills to her junior and senior high school students. Likewise, she hopes and prays that all her students will pass the end-of-course Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.
I have had fond memories of my school days, and my teaching days back in the Philippines, in later '70s and early '80s. God, you know how much I did my very best to share all that I know to my students and other people I met and came to know along the way! You know, God, how confident and proud I was for teaching them, helping them, and encouraging them to excel and succeed in life. I have always tried to burn my midnight oil preparing for my lesson plans and visual aids such that my students will learn and understand our lessons. I did my best to teach them how to read and write, and understand well, to encourage them to read more and write more just as I was encouraged by my instructors and professors in college. And, I'm glad and thankful, Lord, to know that in my combined 6 1/2 years of teaching high school and college, prior to my emigration in the U.S of A. in 1983, most of my former Philippine students have graduated and obtained higher education and now gainfully and professionally employed in their respective fields. Thank you, Jesus, for your inspiration!
One thing that will never erase from my memory, from my former Education professor (May she rest in peace. Amen.) is this notion, or nugget of wisdom: Education never stops. It starts from the womb to tomb.
Well, my dear folks and friends, this is all for now. I do hope you learned something from my blog post today. Until next time around. Take care and have a wonderful day, as always! May our good and gracious God bless us, always!-chris a. quilpa, 04September2012
No comments:
Post a Comment