Dear Editor:
Our family is new to this wonderful community. When we learned we were being transferred last spring, our first concern was finding the right school for our daughter who was starting her junior year.
We started with Helias Catholic. A couple of important pieces of information: she attended public schools K-10 and our family is not Catholic. After her "Crusader for a Day" visit, she was sure that Helias was where she wanted to go - uniforms and all.
Her experience has been life-changing. Our daughter has always made excellent grades, but I often wondered how much she was really learning. Here, she is being challenged academically for the first time. I know that when she graduates in May 2017, she will be ready for the rigor of college.
Socially, she has never been happier. Helias students are genuinely nice and welcoming individuals who enjoy supporting one another. Student sections are always full and not just at football and basketball games. They cheer each other on at cross country meets, tennis matches and choir concerts. Lockers are covered with "good luck" signs for everything from volleyball to academic team.
The Catholic tradition is strong at Helias, as it should be. I appreciate that faculty members make sure to explain materials in a way that non-Catholic students can understand concepts and make connections to their own faith backgrounds.
Ministry staff meets with all students of other faiths in August to let them know that they are as much a part of the Helias community as any other student.
How wonderful to know that I have a community of people caring about my child's mind and soul. In my opinion, we all pray to God; we just approach it in different ways. To educate ourselves on other denominations is a great thing.
The community's support of Helias is remarkable. This was highlighted last week with the announcement of significant tuition lowering for both Catholic and non-Catholic students made possible by generous, anonymous Helias donors. This action shows our community that the Helias Catholic family is committed to and invested in all students.
My daughter said the only thing she regrets about our move is that it did not happen before her freshman year. What a gift for her to have even two years of a Helias education. With the generosity of these donors, I hope that many other area students can experience that same gift.
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