Alliance for Catholic Education
Dear 6B:
Welcome to middle school! You are at the beginning of an adventure that is sure to be full of laughter, tears, stress, joy, and lots of growth. I am so very excited to be your teacher.
You’ll learn a ton this year, and this first week of school is sure to be full of excitement. It will also be full of a whole lot of rules (and expectations and syllabi and class procedures). So, before you walk into day one, I want to tell you the most important thing...
God loves you. You are made in the image of beauty and you are beloved by the Creator of the Universe. God looks at you and is delighted! Ask the Holy Spirit to be your friend this year. Middle school is a little nerve-wracking and a lot of new experiences. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in both the small decisions and the big ones. God loves you ALL the time and He wants to talk to you, always. Make the space for friendship with God, so you can hear all of the words He wants to say to you.
You are good. Simply by existing, you are good. Despite what you may have heard in school or at home or anywhere else, this is a truth that God wants you to know. Yes, you probably make some decisions without your best judgment, or you may sometimes use words that are not the most loving, but that does not make you bad. You have a heart and a mind and a soul that make God smile. In every decision you make, He is inviting you to choose Him.
You matter. You are an important part of our school! God put you in this class, this year, with these people for a specific reason. Some days it will be clear why God put you here, and on those days, thank God for His goodness. Some days it won’t be clear why God put you here, and on those days, ask Him to show you, and still thank God for His goodness.
Maybe you’ve read up to here and you’re wondering when I’m going to talk about school…here’s all I have to say: You are capable of doing difficult things, and your teachers want nothing more than for you to flourish. You are going to have tests and essays and math problems that are hard. That doesn’t mean you give up. A challenge means you take a breath, you remind yourself of the gifts with which God has blessed you, and you ask for help when you need it.
Last (but not least), I want you to know that I love you. Yes, you, even though we might not know each other yet. I have been praying for you all summer long, and I cannot wait to meet you so very soon!
So now, go, enjoy your last few days of summer vacation, and get ready for the best year yet :)
With great excitement and hope,
Miss Hall