From the Chaplain's Office: Teaching Courtesy & Gratitude

This year, the chaplain’s office is emphasizing “Courtesy, Accountability and Reverence,” which ties in beautifully with the religion department’s annual exercise in gratitude. Each year, students in every religion class are issued greeting cards, notepaper and envelopes in order to write thank you notes: one for a teacher, one for a coach or moderator of a club, and one for a member of the administration or support staff.

“As a society we could do a better job at traditional practices of courtesy,” says Academy Chaplain Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB, “and this is one way we can train our students to express gratitude in a formal but sincere way.”

Fr. Dominic began this practice with his own religion classes some years ago, but for the past few years has expanded it to the whole school. Students were allowed to choose the recipients of their notes, and many chose to write to more than one teacher or coach, or to write to parents or to grandparents as well. Many members of faculty and staff expressed how meaningful it is to receive these notes of gratitude.

Civics teacher Mrs. Manning expressed it this way: “We encourage the writing process with our students so they understand the importance of expressing ideas, and we use our words to show respect to them as an example of how others want to be treated. We use hundreds, if not thousands, of words daily yet not all of them have the same impact. I received some notes, and the time students took to write the message, however short or long, meant more than they will ever know. I hope they, in turn, realize the impact they have on me.”  

With the upcoming season of gift giving, Academy parents might extend the lesson beyond the classroom and encourage their children to write and send thank you notes in the days after Christmas.