While Blessed Sacrament School in Washington held its 100th Birthday Bash this past fall, the school’s community has continued to celebrate its centennial by highlighting their accomplishments.
On Jan. 8, the school’s 500 students gathered for Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and afterward they reflected on how they appreciate their community.
Father Percival D’Silva, a priest at Blessed Sacrament, celebrated the Mass and gave the homily. Father D’Silva asked students if they were happy to be in Mass; as he recalled, when he was in school, he was excited to be out of class when his school celebrated Mass.
He went on to explain that Jesus forgives and wants to “let us know he is our friend” and that “he wants you and me to be up there in heaven (some day). Isn’t that great?”
Blessed Sacrament eighth grader Abby Andrews and seventh grader Kevin Knowles shared memories and favorite aspects of their school.
“I really like that we’re all together. You have five-year-olds, and you have 14-year-olds all in the same building, and we get to be with each other. And we have the whole buddy system where the sixth graders are paired up with the kindergartners for Mass. So you get to work with them and teach them the ways,” Andrews said.
She added that she enjoys the homilies at school Masses and the community it fosters.
“Father D’Silva does a really good job including the kids and getting them to understand the Mass, because it can be something hard to understand for five-year-olds and six-year-olds to understand. He really involves them, brings them up, and talks to them a lot. And that’s great,” Andrews said.
Knowles said having religion as a part of his education has been important to his development.
“It’s a little reassurance that God is with us, and he’s helping us learn and understand in everyday life, not just in school and all around,” Knowles said. “[Students can] use religion that they’ve learned to also form their own ideas in their lives and in the world and all around. I think it’s just good.”
Andrews agreed with this and added that she believes religion is important in a school setting.
“I think it's helpful for the kids to be able to learn religion in class so they can get the kind of main idea of religion, and then they can go out and use it with their friends or on the playground or just in their normal everyday life,” Andrews said.
Allison Cogswell, the assistant principal and director of admissions at Blessed Sacrament, also discussed the importance of Catholic education. Cogswell, who has been at the school for 13 years, was a Catholic student herself who attended St. Andrew Apostle School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and The Catholic University of America.
“There’s no place like it. There are families that have been here for generations and generations. We’re celebrating our 100th this year, and then we have new families that come and quickly acclimate and integrate into the school, and everybody brings a different set of gifts to the table, and that’s what makes Blessed Sacraments so unique,” Cogswell said.
She said Blessed Sacrament focuses on educating the “whole” student, which makes the school stand out.
“As soon as you come in, you’re going to feel that warmth, that welcomeness. You’re going to see what sets Blessed Sacrament apart. Our students are kind, compassionate, and loving, and they're here for so much more than just the academic piece. We truly are committed to educating the whole child and the faith formation piece that comes with that, the social-emotional piece. We want them to be good people that we can send out into the world and really make a positive impact,” Cogswell said.
Mary Vantine, a first grade teacher, has taught at Blessed Sacrament for 20 years. Vantine, who was born and raised Catholic, said the job came at a difficult time when her mother was ill.
“I landed this job, and it was like, ‘Wow, there are angels above.’ My mother even said, ‘Oh, got you in a Catholic school,’” Vantine said.
She shared how she has enjoyed teaching young minds for decades.
“First grade is a magical age. It's a time when kids are learning how to read, when they're learning how to write, when all those foundational skills are coming together, and you're basically trying to help set the stepping stones for what's ahead of them,” Vantine said.
Working at Blessed Sacrament for so long has given Vantine a very special glimpse into the lives of her students as they get older and start their own families — and send them to Blessed Sacrament.
“My favorite part about being of this community is just the familial aspect. The fact that I have seen grandchildren of people who went here long ago, and then over the years, you see these kids go from being in kindergarten to eighth graders to then high school, and they’re coming back to visit you. It’s just such a wonderful thing,” Vantine said.
Vantine said she sees herself at Blessed Sacrament for anniversaries to come.
“Honestly, it's just a wonderful, wonderful place to work, and whether just within the school, when things do happen or things occur, whether a family or even yourself, everybody just unites. Everybody is very supportive, caring, kind. It's just a wonderful place to work,” Vantine said.
For Susan Albertson, the primary librarian and faith formation teacher, Blessed Sacrament School is an important institution in her family. She is not only a longtime member of the Blessed Sacrament faculty but also a parent to two graduates from the school. Now, her daughter is a kindergarten teacher at the school, and her granddaughter is a sixth grade student.
Growing up in the Washington area, Albertson attended St. Camillus School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Academy of Notre Dame, an all-girls high school in Washington, D.C.
If there’s just one concept her students learn from her, Albertson hopes it’s kindness.
“Kindness and caring for one another. And I really do feel like that is a really special gift that our school has. I really feel it’s a very kind and caring community… People just come together, and it really makes you want to stick around. Obviously,” Albertson said.
Related story:
In Blessed Sacrament School's 100th year, students reflect on what makes it special
