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A few words from members of our school community...
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"I think the biggest impact that St. Dominic's Grade School made in my
life was to provide a strong moral foundation and a beautiful sense of
community. Because of this community spirit and a solid base, I was more
open to accepting Christ's call and serving in whatever way I can,
whether that means ministry outreach work at UW-Madison or coming back
to lead our parish's Confirmation Retreat this January." -Steve
Buting |
I Like Going to St. Dominic School because..."
I like going to St. Dominic School because we are Catholic and you
can talk about Jesus, God and stories from the Bible. We get to go
to church every Wednesday. We have religion class at school. We can pray
and have Communion and Reconciliation. At all times of the year we can
help everyone and be like Christ. 2nd grader
Madeline T.
Dreams, Dreams are what I want to reach. Goals. Goals are what I want to
achieve. How do I do this? By getting a Catholic education. A Catholic
education will help me to learn and live my faith. To never give up and
always know that God is on my side. As long as I'm getting a
Catholic education, I know that I'll keep growing in love and knowledge.
I'll keep getting stronger in my faith and that's really important to me
and my future. Every day when I come to school at St. Dominic, my future
becomes brighter and new opportunities open for me. Dreams. Dreams are
what I'll reach. Goals. Goals are what I will achieve. All because I
received a Catholic education. 7th grader Kerri
Jo M. |
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Caroline
Klinker - Class of 2006
Last
year, I had to take pictures of my bedroom for a class project. It’s
funny how much time you can spend in a place and not realize what it
means to you. As I looked at the pictures I had taken, I realized that
my room was filled with memories of my years at St. Dominic. There was a
sweatshirt with a reindeer made of handprints hanging in the closet. A
picture of me giving a speech at my K4 graduation on the dresser. A
cross from my first communion hanging on the wall. Pictures from our
seventh-grade play tacked on the bulletin board. And finally, a diploma
acknowledging that Caroline Klinker had graduated from St. Dominic
Catholic School. When I received that diploma, it felt like everything
was over. I had spent 10 incredible years at St. Dominic, and now I was
done.
It didn’t take long for me to realize how wrong I was. St. Dominic is
more than just a school and a church. It is a community that, once you
have entered it, you cannot leave. When I was in kindergarten, St.
Dominic supplied the loving, encouraging community that every four year
old needs. When I was in elementary school, it supplied a fun, creative
community designed to prepare me academically and personally for the
years ahead. In middle school, an academic, familial and religious
community instilled in me morals, friendships and knowledge that will
last a lifetime. And even now, in high school, the St. Dominic community
continues to support me and help me grow spiritually through the
Lifelong Faith Formation and Confirmation programs.
St. Dominic not only provides the community, but instills values and
skills
one needs to become a contributing member of a community. I still
remember walking into first grade and seeing two of the biggest words
I’d ever seen written on the chalkboard: Respect and Responsibility. Not
only did I learn how to spell these words at St. Dominic, but I learned
what they meant and how to make them a part of my life. And that was
just the first day of first grade. Throughout the years, I learned how
to define, embody and spell many others, including tolerance,
compassion, teamwork, perseverance and integrity. Thank you, St. Dominic
Community for teaching me to “seek Christ, know Christ, and become
Christ, each one for the sake of all.”
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Kathy
Pavlic Thomas - Circle of LifeSimba
and Nala in The Lion King were not the only ones acutely
aware of the circles of life. My academic and professional lives
have just come full circle at St. Dominic. I attended grades 1-8 at
the recently built St. Dominic School. Several years later I
enjoyed my first teaching position in a 1st grade
parochial school classroom. Fast forward to the present and I find
myself thrilled to return “home” to St. Dominic and teaching first
grade once again.
After five years in the classroom, I began my
family and chose to be a full-time mom and part-time teacher. Now
that my children are getting ready to fly from our nest, I am very
excited to be back as a full-time classroom teacher at St. Dominic. Katelyn, 19 will be a freshman at Stevens Point and Jackie, 17, is a
Brookfield Central senior. While my educational philosophy is an
ever-evolving kaleidoscope, parenting my own children has added the
most dynamic change to my teaching style. Many times I think about
how I would want a specific situation handled if I was this child’s
parent.
St. Dominic Parish has been one of my
“villages” for over 40 years. I remember Sister Marcel Marie
greeting me, in full habit, as I walked into my first grade
classroom. I was sure that Father Griebasch was related to the Jolly
Green Giant because he was so tall when he taught us religion in our
classroom once each week. Who could forget the competitive spirit
between the well-known boys’ choir and Miss Wolf’s girls’ choir?
Finally, I always looked forward to the nights that my parents
hosted the St. Dominic bridge club at our home. It meant great
snacks and mom and dad’s friends were always so
nice to us. Many of
those people are still parish members today!
I am proud to have been part of St. Dominic’s
past. Today, I am blest to share friendships with so many wonderful
people in our parish. Finally, I am fortunate and tremendously
excited to be part of the education of our first grade students who
are St. Dominic’s future. Please stop by and introduce yourself. I
look forward to meeting you! |
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“I Like Going To St. Dominic School Because…”
by Courtney S.-second grade student
"I like going to St. Dominic School because I get to have a great school
with great teachers. We get to play Band and String instruments. I have
a lot of great, kind and nice friends. We also have an awesome
principal. We learn about Jesus at Liturgy/ Mass. At Mass we praise God
and Jesus in their joyful house. It is a privilege to be at St. Dominic
School.
St. Dominic School is a Catholic School so we celebrate First
Communion and First Reconciliation in second grade. We also have an
awesome priest like Father Dave. |
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| When we were looking for a school, we selected St. Dominic’s because
of the strong academics, but also because the nurturing atmosphere
reassured us that our kids would be cared for as individuals with unique
gifts to be developed. The teachers at St. Dominic’s are committed and
talented educators who continually go above and beyond the call of duty
because they care about the kids. Students from St. Dominic’s learn the
three Rs, but also learn to care about others and to use their blessings
to help the community. |
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It is important to us, as a family, that God remain our primary
focus. The school days at
St. Dominic include prayer before and during
the day, weekly all-school Mass and outreach to the needy. Catholic
education at St. Dominic School helps the kids both learn and live their
faith. |
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| We are sending our children to St. Dominic School because we want
our children to learn in an environment that teaches and
demonstrates our Catholic faith in formal and informal ways. The biggest
strength of St. Dominic School is the caring and nurturing community.
St. Dominic is special because of the faith in action seen at the school
every day from the teachers, staff and parents. |
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| We chose St. Dominic School because of the faith-based education and
the sense of community at the school. It was important to us that our
children learn about God starting at a young age and Catholicism is a part of
the curriculum. We like that the teachers appear to be life-long
learners. We think attending church weekly is important too and will
hopefully cultivate a love for the church that will last throughout our
children’s lives. |
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| We chose St. Dominic School because a Catholic education is
important to us. We like that the school is not so large but also not
tiny. The sense of community, daily incorporation of prayer and
religious education, and parental involvement are all strengths of the
school. We appreciate that Extended Care is offered for families. St.
Dominic School offers a good education and is a part of a vibrant
parish. |
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| I chose to send my boys to St. Dominic’s because I wanted them in a
Catholic environment. The curriculum is well-rounded and included
computers and Spanish. The classes are big enough to have a variety of
friends but not so big that it is overwhelming. Extracurriculars like
forensics and sports, offer a lot to the kids. I also appreciate the
Catholic atmosphere and strict guidelines on behavior during school.
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Students at St. Dominic School seem to have a higher self-esteem,
perhaps not “worldly” self-confidence but certainly something they can
rely on with new situations in high school. Family involvement in the
lives of the students is unique at our school. We chose
St. Dominic
School so that our children would have a faith-based approach to problem
situations. |
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| Our children attended St. Dominic School and now are successful high
school students. They have a strong moral and religious conscience. At
St. Dominic School, each child is able to learn at his own level. Caring
and dedicated teachers and a small student-faculty ratio allow teachers
to really know your child. The theology program includes involvement by
the parish priests in the classrooms on a regular basis throughout the
year. We also liked the well-developed sports programs, the SMART team,
remedial programs and the peer mediation program. |
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| Our children’s performances in high school and college reinforce our
belief that they are educated properly at St. Dominic School. The
Christian values they have now, demonstrated by the lives they lead,
were instilled in them during their early years at St. Dominic School.
The expectation of high academic standards is just one of the many ways
that St. Dominic School is set apart from other schools. There is a very
positive atmosphere, a wonderful athletic program and a strong religious
program. One of the greatest strengths at St. Dominic School is the
amount of parent volunteer support. Although the economy can influence
parents’ choices, we feel that the cost of sending our children to St.
Dominic School is justified by the morals and values that are instilled
in the kids during these influential years. |
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| We chose St. Dominic School because of the outstanding academics--
most of the school tests in the 99th percentiles -- as well as he
Christian focus. We believe that it is important to have our children
taught in school, as well as at home, that faith is important and that
we need to focus on faith daily to grow in it. We also really like the
friendly, inviting atmosphere. It is a great school! |
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