My name is Sean Allen Warfield. My wife Kimberly and I have been together since 1989, and we are the proud parents of three adult children who are graduates of Catholic schools. I have been an educator since the early 90s, in public and Catholic Education. I am excited to bring my ministry to St. Mary's.
Pope St. John Paul II once said, "Every generation, with its own mentality and characteristics, is like a new continent to be won for Christ." We must partner together to prepare kids to face the world with a blueprint for moral living that they can understand and apply to life's hard questions. Ignoring it is not an option; if we're not teaching them how to understand tough moral issues, the world will. The St. Mary's Way is to reclaim the next generation for the Lord by modeling and expecting the Catholic virtues. Please read my note to the students below and hit all four tabs to understand better why my vocāre (calling) is to a ministry in Catholic Education.
Dear Students,
Set your goals high and keep striving, and you will achieve great things. We are here to help you achieve whatever you set your mind to. Ensure that you are working as hard as your teachers. If a teacher is working harder than you, you are squandering your opportunity to learn and become the best version of yourself.
The key to being a successful student is to develop an uncompromising can-do attitude with a growth mindset. I have heard it said many times that the only thing separating the dropout from the graduate is GRIT! The inventor of the light bulb once famously observed, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time.” Kids with high goals do much better in school and are usually the most successful after graduation. What is going to set you apart? Do your best, and NEVER QUIT! You can do amazing things with your life if you put your mind to it, work toward long-term goals, work well with others, and always strive to grow in virtue and be the best version of yourself.
Our best students will know (in their heads and in their hearts) all four of these tabs below:
As a St. Mary’s student, I commit, on my honor, to the following values:
Best version of myself: I strive for the spiritual development of myself toward a life of prayer, service, love, personal virtue, and academic excellence. There are many virtues and all of them are worth cultivating if I am to become the best version of myself. Aristotle calls this "Character Excellence, " which is what we all strive for.
Learning empowerment: I seek intellectual growth through study, questioning, listening, and debate. I recognize that learning is a lifelong endeavor. I will also come to realize that we – members of this academic and faith community – are all teachers, and we are all learners.
Integrity, Honesty, & Trust: Integrity is the most valued trait of members of this community. Honesty is the foundation for interactions with others. I strive to earn the trust of others. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.
Diversity, Respect: I respect the rights and property of others. I support a community where everyone feels welcome and made to belong. I am intolerant of the harassment of individuals or groups.
Character: I accept responsibility for my actions, acknowledge and amend my mistakes, and always try to improve.
Attitude: I am here because this is where I belong. I recognize my obligation to positively contribute to the community and make this a better place for my being here.
Testing: No other person may assist, observe, or interfere with my testing. My submitted test is my work only. I will not use paper, cell phone, internet, or computer to give or receive assistance, and I will not discuss any test with other students in the same class before all tests are submitted.
Set your goals high and keep striving to be the best version of yourself, and you will achieve great things. We are here to help you achieve whatever you set your mind to. Parents and teachers both want their students to be successful. Kids with high goals do much better in school, and they usually get the best jobs after graduation. What is going to set you apart? Do your best, and NEVER QUIT! You can do amazing things with your life if you set your mind to it and learn to work toward a long-term goal. There are people all around you who want to help you! We can’t do it for you, though; you must persevere every day and always strive to be an excellent learner. I have heard it said many times that the only thing separating the dropout from the graduate is GRIT! The inventor of the light bulb once famously observed, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed in life is to always try one more time.”
School only lasts a dozen years, but the way you perform in school affects the rest of your life, and the effect of doing your best now is a more rewarding life for hopefully the more significant part of a century. To succeed in life, you must take charge of yourself and your learning ASAP. The harder you work, the higher you can climb, and as you climb that “ladder of success,” you may need to ask some of your teachers for recommendation letters. Ask someone you respect to practice with you the proper way to look someone in the eyes and ask for something important, as well as the proper way to shake hands. Manners, respect, and virtue are more critical to being a success and having a happy life than many people think.
For mathematics, you must know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide- integers, rational & irrational numbers, decimals & percentages. Know your times tables; know them well. Speed is essential; you should be able to answer all the fact questions within 3 seconds. Try these: 7x8, 28/7, 56-8. If you can’t you are WAY behind. How do you get faster? Practice! Make flashcards & ask for help from parents, siblings & good friends.
For all of your subjects, do your homework on time or ahead of time, and when you have those “wait, what?” questions, write them down & ask for help ASAP. Always pay attention to your teachers and work on your study skills. You are surrounded by people who are here to help you do your personal best. We don't expect every student to be great in every subject; we do expect every student to give their best effort and always strive to be the best version of themselves.You are extremely lucky, especially being blessed enough to attend a school like St. Mary’s, where you are loved and cared for more than you can imagine. You only have a handful of responsibilities:
1) be a good son/daughter, obey your parents & help with chores around the house.
2) be a good brother/sister/friend.
3) be the best student you can be.
Here is my list of things I wish all students believed:
(Truly believed in their head AND in their heart)