As a Matter of Principal
Welcome to MSM Principal, Mrs. DeNegri's blog!
10/15/2012
Last week while at my Mercy Secondary Educators' conference, I heard a great deal about service programs at the many Catholic high schools and the importance and value of this popular concept. While talking with other administrators and learning of what they do, I began to think of the many ways our MSM students give back. But I also began to realize that The Mount was getting our kids involved in service before it was "cool" to have this type of program! Do you realize that we had a Key Club as early as 1963? It was an all-boys organization that focused on serving those who were less fortunate. Around 1995, Mrs. Tammy Finsel later started the Keywanettes for the girls, and then eventually the two groups merged. So, it's no surprise to learn that our spirit of Mercy was being shared with others in our community way before it became a graduation requirement. It's no surprise because....IT'S WHO WE ARE AT THE MOUNT!
These great Mount students have generously and willingly stepped up and led many service projects for their school - our school. Our students are "seekers," looking for ways in which to place others before them. They recognize the need to share in the responsibility of serving others and are willing to step up to this challenge. It's not easy being a teen today. All too often our teens are only known for making bad choices. Well, it's time we adults step up to the challenge of making it known to the world of the goodness there is in our youth, our MSM youth, and these great kids are moving their own generation forward! I love it when students step into my office to ask if they can start a new service project. They begin by saying to me, "Mrs. DeNegri, we have an idea..." and then I let'em take it from there. Together The Mount family has walked the streets of Capitol Hill in the name of immigration. Our students and staff have climbed the steps of the State Capitol to make known our strong position on abortion. In the spirit of compassion our students have willingly given up their Saturdays in order to sit and talk with elderly residents while preparing their weekend meals, even hosting a Senior Citizens Prom - how cool is that?! And I could go on and on...
Our Mount students are different, all right! They "get it." Through the leadership and guidance of some amazing staff around here, they have come to realize the "connection" that must happen, and this connection is the realization that "it's all about the future." If they don't stand up to the challenge of serving others - which is no easy task - if they don't make it a "matter of principal" to have hope and to have empathy, then really, what's the use? We have so much to be thankful for, and my thanks begins with our students and parents and staff who have paved the way for us and have helped us to become The Mount we are today. Yes, thanks to them, we "get it."
Talita DeNegri, Principal
Mount St. Mary Catholic High School
9/10/2012
What an electrical environment it was - the smell of popcorn; sounds of students laughing; cheerleaders practicing chants; football cleats pounding to the rhythm of counts; parents searching for their seats; former football players checking out their successors; the announcer giving the mic-check…it was ROCKET FOOTBALL NIGHT!
All night long it was great being able to greet and welcome so many new families to The Mount! Watching our newest “little Rockets” get a grasp of what high school athletics was all about made me laugh with tenderness at their awkwardness and their eyes big and full of wonder as if walking into a carnival funhouse. Immediately their schoolmates would come to their rescue, and you could see the relief quickly fill their anxious, little faces.
Whether I stood in the end zone or near the student body, it was encouraging to see our students loudly cheering, being led by our Blue Crew – those skinny, brave, comical, spirited boys. Aren’t you glad our teens of today love retro? Talk about crazy outfits! Gotta love ‘em!! Thanks to our Blue Crew, our students stuck together and cheered for their football team, and I use the pronoun “their” because our students are very possessive of one another. They protect and support one another. They stand beside and defend one another. They hold each other accountable. They expect more out of one another. And it is these qualities that inspire me each and every day as I experience our students.
Expecting the best in each other is what we are all about here at MSM. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting in the stands, cheering on the sidelines, watching on the Internet, or even playing on the field, we are a family, and we celebrate each of our gifts – thankful for the opportunity to be together.
It’s a matter of principal, and there’s no other place to witness it than on a Friday night watching ROCKET Football…
Talita DeNegri, Principal
Mount St. Mary Catholic High School
Oklahoma City, OK 73109