11Mar

Apathy or Wonder?

Dear Families,

“Today’s dominant educational system, ordered toward the merely pragmatic and utilitarian ends of ‘college and career readiness,’ has no use for wonder or wisdom. We see its consequences in the weary apathy of students who repeatedly ask, ‘Is this going to be on the test?’ When only that which can be quantified or graded is valued, all else falls away. The factory model of teaching and learning is manufacturing the malaise, anxiety, and even despair that burden so many of the young by depriving them of the two elements their innate sense of wonder seeks to find: the meaning and ...

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04Mar

The Opposite but Right Way

Dear Families,

Welcome to the meanderings of Mr. Tremblay's mind. Sometimes it moves too fast for me to handle, so I hope I don't even lose my own thoughts while attempting to re-present unoriginal ideas that are too profound and true for me to comprehend. 

We just concluded a season of competition with defeat. Observing the season from the perspective of a coach, administrator, father, and human being sometimes presents a perplexing intersection of emotions and rational responses. I am acutely aware that for two of our student-athletes, the season could not have been a bigger catastrophe. We ...

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26Feb

Hastening to Heaven

Ash Wednesday

From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement I, pope and martyr:

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they...

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12Feb

The Right Kind of Change

Dear Families,

Our school continues to gather national attention, and most recently, even some international attention. A school leader from Australia emailed me just yesterday asking to visit us during May. Our school was also spotlighted in a publication from the NCEA entitled, "Your School's Catholic Identity".  Although I have yet to read it, it is my understanding that the report is primarily based on an interview with a former high school student. I find this most humbling since sitting in my position, I can see where there are opportunities for improvement.

At a conference a coupl...

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05Feb

Metrics in Education?

Dear Families,

Data often overwhelm us. There are infinite ways to measure anything and everything.

Anyone with an infant knows this truth. Each visit to the pediatrician yields endless measures and metrics: percentiles for weight, height, and head circumference. Behavioral measures: at what day and month did your child sit up, stand up, walk, grasp objects with one hand?

Any institution or business has an equal number of metrics and feedback loops: customer satisfaction, increase in profits, decrease in expenditures, growth in distribution, and more.

And then there are schools. There are nor...

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29Jan

We are all stewards of Catholic education

Dear Families,

This week we had a couple of families visit our school discerning whether or not to move here to join our school community. I can tell you this is not uncommon. I try not to be a salesman nor overly haughty about what we do here. That is no easy feat. But as I reflect on some of the idioms that continually come out of my mouth, I always wonder how true they are.

Common questions we field are: Why is this school thriving? What is the long term sustainability? Why do families choose us over other schools? Where do you think the school needs to improve? --- gosh, these are hard qu...

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27Jan

Second Quarter Academic Honors 2020


Grade 6

Headmaster’s List: Francis Fryckowski

High Honors: Matthew Bissah

Honors: John Breisch, Jurgen Gannon, Taylor Goodspeed, Blaise McMenaman, Grace Parige


Grade 7

Headmaster’s List: Dominic Dorman, Luke Moorehouse

High Honors: Melody Heacock

Honors: Amelia Caravan, Nora Walsh


Grade 8

Headmaster’s List: Joshua Bissah, Lauren Dustin, Brennan Walsh

Honors: Peter Hogan, Katherine McMenaman


Grade 9

Headmaster’s List:  Nonah Dowsett, Luke Kalpakgian, Anya Moorehouse, Julia Stout, Annemarie Sweet

Honors: Alice Breisch, Dylon Bugbee, Brian Heacock, Susan Kanu, Maryrose McL...

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23Jan

Created for Life and Family

The attack on human life and the family goes all the way back to the beginning. When the “father of lies” led Adam and Eve to question our true Father’s warning, he was attacking the fundamental truth that we are created for life and family. Death was the result of that first sin and it remains true to this day.

Life requires faith. Faith is trust in our loving Father and His guidance despite whatever fears we face in the moment. The truth is there is no threat or danger or hopeless moment that cannot be faced with love. Love for the life we are given and the lives we are entrusted with is th...

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22Jan

Children: Gift and Hope for the Future

Dear Families,

Tomorrow morning, before most of us have even had our first cup of coffee, our high school students-- and several brave chaperones-- will be boarding a bus for the long drive to Washington, DC. Each year we march in solidarity with those who believe in the sanctity of life-- all life.  We march to remind people that in America, sadly, those most vulnerable among us, are most in danger. While speaking at a National Prayer Breakfast in February 1994 Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke the following words:

“...I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, becau...

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15Jan

The Habit of Orderliness

Dear Families,

I am fairly confident that anyone who knows too much about me and my personal quirks would speculate that this month's virtue is a favorite of mine. If so, you are on to something. My wife and children would attest to it as well; as soon as I get home, I morph into a drill sergeant of sorts summoning the children to pick up after themselves. I do not purport to enjoy this part of my personality, because if it becomes disordered in any way it can be destructive. There is a right and a wrong way to politely ask someone to pick up and prepare their own belongings.

Orderliness is th...

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