5/24/24 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: Have a Great Summer!

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

The class of 2024, the largest 8th grade class at Our Lady of Peace since the “pack ‘em in” days of the last century, is graduating on Thursday, May 30. We congratulate:

Milan Alexander, Emmanuel-Valentine Atabong, Alyssa Bennett, Chance Bittner, Evan Bohlander, Elise Chalfant, Gigi Cotter, Braylen Cousar, Adam Crissinger, Jack Curtis, Jayden Danful, Dominic Davoli, Marckdalie Exume, Catharine Falcoski, Selome Gebregziabher, Sarah Gill, Emily Goshe, Thomas Hartline, Braylon Henderson, Brandon Hernandez, Malorie Hopson, Ava Koah, Nora Leonard, Mya McBride, Julien McElroy, Myah McGee, Chloe McNally, Piper McSweeney, Keegan Miller, Peyton Nelson, Dami Olubowale, Francesca Pedro, Sydney Potts, Campbell Retzke, Elle Schirack, Juna Sivillo, Amanda Smith, Orianna Strickland, Daniel Tibua-Mensah, Joseph Vamboi, Mason Wayt, Asheigh Williamson.

Some of these students have been here for nine years. Almost 1/3 of the class has been here only a year. Almost all the new students came from St. Anthony School, which closed at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

The OLP community: Father Dooley, the teachers and staff, the School Advisory Board, the Home and School Association, our parishioners, our school parents, and, most importantly our students, welcomed not only the new 8th graders, but all the new students in the other eight grades who checked us out, liked what they saw, and joined our family.

Other schools in the area also welcomed the students from St. Anthony. Other schools had room. We really did not have the room, but we made the room, both in our building and in our hearts. Never once from the fall of 2022 when we first heard of the closure of St. Anthony, through now, has anyone been critical of our decision. Especially when it became clear that the majority of the St. Anthony’s 7th graders wanted to come here.

This graduating class of 42 young men and women have studied together, taken the DC trip together, put on the spring musical together, occasionally have gotten in trouble together, and had a lot of fun together.

And they have succeeded. Almost one-third of them have or will on graduation night receive scholarships to St. Francis DeSales, St. Charles, or Bishop Watterson. This is a tribute of course to them, but also to our faculty and staff as well as the faculty and staff of St. Anthony School. And to their parents, the primary educators and supporters of these young men and women.

True diversity in a school or a community does not mean that everyone loses his or her identity. It is that recognition of diversity and what unique gifts everyone brings to the table that makes diversity a strength rather than a weakness. This has been a hallmark of the class of 2024: strong and successful. We celebrate the accomplishments of our OLP veterans as well as our new students. This infusion of the students from St. Anthony into the Our Lady of Peace community has made us stronger in the Name of Jesus Christ, who wants all to be working together to build His Kingdom.

I predict great things for our graduates, and I fully expect to be hearing about college scholarships for these young men and women in 2028. Please keep them in your prayers!

Jim Silcott