In their own words:  Saint Paul School graduates were asked about the importance of
the education they gained while students and how it prepared them for what they are
doing now.  Below are excerpts from their comments:

 

          My transition from middle school to high school was easier than I had expected. In many ways, this was because of the preparation I had from Saint Paul Middle School in Kensington.
          First, from an academic perspective, I continue to be successful in high school. I believe that my success, in part, is attributed to the foundation that was laid in middle school. The curriculum at Saint Paul Middle School required me and my fellow classmates to go outside of our comfort zone and do things such as making presentations in front of the class, taking part at school Masses and working together in groups. These challenges, I believe, have helped to build my confidence and now in high school I do not hesitate to participate in classes or work in a group.
          I also credit Saint Paul Middle School with helping to strengthen my faith. I have grown spiritually and I feel this is just as important as academics, if not more. I learned the history of the Catholic faith and how it relates to our current world. More importantly, Mr. Grant, who teaches religion, lives what he teaches and his teachings left an imprint on many of us.
          Lastly, I learned a great deal about sportsmanship, discipline and respect by participating in athletics at Saint Paul Middle School. I played basketball for 3 years and in addition to improving my basketball skills, I learned valuable lessons from our coach that helped me to make the Freshmen Basketball team at St. Paul High School.

Jake P., Class of 2012

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          I attended Saint Paul’s for close to ten years, and I cannot place a value on the lessons I learned there. 
          I was able to grow and mature as a person because I was in a safe, friendly, and supportive environment.  My classmates and I were encouraged to ask questions and fully understand what we were talking about in every subject.  We completed many cool projects that taught us not only the curriculum, but engaged our creativity when we completed everything from skits, to comic strips, to even role playing as protestors to learn about the early 1900s and freedom of speech.
          There are also many fun clubs and sports teams to join.  During my time at Saint Paul’s, I learned about the judicial system and had the opportunity to represent my school as a member of its mock trial team.  My brother Brian is currently a member of the Varsity Basketball team and student council.  I also had the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument.  I was a member of my school’s advanced and jazz bands for four years, and also represented my school in the All-state and central regional bands.  We also have a student council, ski club, a school newspaper, and other fun extracurricular activities such as dinosaur club and golf lessons available at Saint Paul’s.
          Every day, we learned not only the curriculum, but also virtues such as honesty, forgiveness, friendship, and love by seeing them lived out by not only our teachers, but also fellow students.  Saint Paul school also helped me grow in my faith.  Everyone in the school is taught about the Catholic Faith, and about once a month, we go to Mass together with our Mass buddies, younger or older students that we are paired with.  I learned the importance of being a role model, to my Mass buddy, Ruth.  Often, Father Peter and Father Robert drop by and we can talk and ask questions about our faith.  Learning about my faith at Saint Paul’s is different from learning it anywhere else because our teachers inspire us by really practicing what they teach and living their faith each day.
          I now attend Mercy High School in Middletown, CT, and I love it.  I know I can face anything high school has to throw at me because I was prepared for it all at Saint Paul’s.  Because of my preparation at Saint Paul school, I have been placed in all honors classes.  Not only can I handle the coursework, but I can handle the moral situations that may come up because of the lessons I have learned.  Also, the student body at Saint Paul’s truly is a family, even after we graduate.  When I first arrived at Mercy, some of the students from Saint Paul’s who were already established helped me transition.

Hannah C-R, Class of 2013

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          I started school at Saint Paul's in Pre-K 4 and finished 8th grade as salutatorian of my class. I now attend Xavier High School in Middletown, CT. The education I received at Saint Paul's set a solid foundation for my entry into high school. The teachers were dedicated to the future of my success. They were always available for extra help anytime and I always felt comfortable approaching them. The overall school environment feels very welcoming. Even now, as an alumni I know that I can still visit the school and be greeted by the teachers and staff to catch up on how everyone’s doing. They still ask about my studies. And it feels good. I gained many moral lessons and confidence at Saint Paul’s. With hard work and effort comes success.
          Aside from its education, Saint Paul’s balances spiritual value. The whole school would gather about once a month to have Mass together as a whole community. Spiritual value is not just reflected in the church though. There are many outside events that take place, also. I remember the priests of our church go to each classroom and meet with students for a period or two. In middle school, students go to church every first Friday of the month to go to Eucharistic Adoration. Grades three and up attend Reconciliation and Communion. A Catholic education is important to me because not only do I learn moral values but I live them also. Daily life at a Catholic school is about more than just religion and academics; it’s about striving to meet your highest potential as Christ would want you to.

Evan R., Class of 2012

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             Saint Paul’s has prepared me in everyway academically, and spiritually, to help me properly adjust and assimilate into the high school lifestyle.  
            In terms of academics, when I began high school, I was head and shoulders above most of my classmates, and on par with the other limited few.  Saint Paul’s teaches us all to work to our fullest potential, no matter how frustrating and time-consuming it may be.  Teachers here truly love their job and their students. Teachers will stay after school if you need more help on a topic, or honestly, if you just need to chat.  At Saint Paul’s there is a certain student teacher connection, which you cannot find in many other schools.  There is honestly a friendship that forms between student and teachers, to the point where my other classmates and I occasionally come back just to chat and say hi.  This, I feel, is a necessity to form a proper academic foundation and intellectual basis for succeeding in higher levels of education and beyond.         
            Moving on to another specific example of stellar academic presence at Saint Paul’s is our math and science programs. We split up our math  and science classes to improve our teacher to student ratio, therefore giving each student a sense of  individuality and personal attention with their teacher, which each student wants and deserves.  Just to put this in perspective, my math class 8^th grade year had 9 students in it.  My classmates from Saint Paul and I agree, that we were probably some of the most prepared kids in our math and science classes for high school.  This gave us a phenomenal edge because we went into high school knowing, or at least having a good basis, of every topic being discussed. 
            Now to move on to the spiritual side of things, I can basically sum up Saint Paul’s spiritual aspect of education into one quote by Saint Francis of Assisi “ Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words”.  I chose this quote because Saint Paul’s teaches you how to just be an overall, good person, a person like Christ.  Saint Paul’s teaches each student the values and teachings that Catholicism portrays, and more importantly, they teach you the application of these values in the real world.  A great aspect of this is , during a religion class, sometimes one, or multiple, of the friars may stop in to say hi, and are open to questions, and occasionally even debates on religious subject matter.  Saint Paul’s also has monthly Masses where the entire school gathers together to celebrate a mass.  Subsequently, all students can receive the fullest spiritual education they possibly can, here at Saint Paul School
          I can truthfully say that I wouldn’t be the student, or more importantly the person that I am today if it wasn’t for my Saint Paul education and experience.

Anthony P, Class of 2011

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          I am now a sophomore at Mercy High School in Middletown, CT. I take all honors classes.  Having receuved a Saint Paul education, I was very prepared for my high school years. Saint Paul prepared me spiritually, mentally and emotionally. One of the things that Saint Paul School stresses is the individual spirituality of each student, which is simply not found in other schools. Having religion class everyday taught me morals and important values needed in life. Mr. Grant, the middle school religion teacher, was a great role model for us. He lived what he taught and his teachings will never be forgotten. The teachers, like Mr. Grant, were always dedicated to the students, giving them as much help as was needed. The whole school gathers together for Mass every month. Older kids are paired up with the young ones so that they can help the little kids participate in the Mass as much as possible. Catholic education is more than just religion and facts, it’s about how you live out your faith as Christ would want you to.