PARENTS:  

My name is Sean Allen Warfield. My wife Kimberly and I are have been together since the 80's and we are the proud parents of three adult children who are products of Catholic Schools.  I am excited to bring my ministry to St. Mary’s.  Please read my letter to the students to get a feel for why I am called to Catholic Education.

STUDENTS:

We can teach it to you, and we can answer most of your questions, but we cannot learn it for you.  The students who do the best in school, high school, college, and life in general are the ones who focus on becoming excellent learners.  You know something is true and beautiful when YOU YOURSELF (not just other people) understand it.  Knowledge demands an investment of your thinking in order to behold its wonder.  But it is worth it, and infinitely better than the version of school that is just memorizing stuff.  What do I look for in a student?  The same thing most employers look for in employees:  creativity, curiosity, commitment, collaboration, compassion, and most of all competence - know your stuff.  That means working hard and memorizing the important and basic facts.  

You are extremely lucky, especially being lucky 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 and/or a good friend.

3) be the best student you can be.

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.  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 larger part of a century.  To be successful in life, you need to 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 your parents 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 are more important to becoming a success in life than you may think.

Kids get in trouble from time to time; it’s a part of growing up.  If you make a mistake, own it, apologize and do better. This summarizes the three steps for any good apology. 1) Acknowledge your mistake. 2) Take responsibility. 3) Think about how to avooid it in the future. Veteran teachers who have taught more than a handful of years have had thousands of students.  Teachers don’t focus on mistakes or they don’t last long in this career.  Even if you make what you think is a big mistake, teachers will not remember it unless it is habitual, rude, and blatant.

* I wish they knew that their singing voice is beautiful, even if they don’t think so & they feel intimidated by peers at mass.  I wish they knew that turning off electronics and reading an actual book could bring joy and will do a lot for their future success.  * I wish they knew I don’t stop caring about and praying for them when they leave.  I never feel like I’m doing enough for them.  

* To be lovable, you must first love yourself.  * I wish they knew that life is about so much more than who likes you and who doesn’t.  Some kids get hung up on popularity/peers.  I wish they knew the effort they put into the perceived popularity contest doesn’t return.  I wish they knew how to focus on substantial priorities like good manners and good grades.  * One true friend who values you & builds you up is better than a dozen shallow friends who tear you down.  * To have a friend you must be a friend.

* I wish my students knew that virtue is its own reward, and there is more to education than sitting in a classroom.

* I wish my students knew that while school and qualifications matter a lot, they are merely doors into our future: the important accomplishments all lay ahead.  I wish they would seize every opportunity now – in and beyond the classroom – to develop skills, qualities and knowledge for the big adventure - life.

* I wish they knew that school is not a battle.  We’re not trying to win against you – and if there is any battle metaphor, we’re on your side.  There is a perception that kids get from cartoons/TV and urban myth that they’re in a battle against their teacher.  It can lead to a sense that if a teacher is asking you to do something then they’re accusing you or trying to “get” you.  There’s often an automatic victim mentality.  If you are asked to stop talking, this is not “yelling at you,” it is just a short way to ask you to show the teacher and the class respect.

* I wish my students knew that I want them to think for themselves.  Changes over the years to the school and exam system have allowed students to increasingly see education as a commodity which teachers should provide for them.  Education is not received, it is achieved; in fact, real teaching happens when teachers force students to get stuck after giving them the tools & strategies to problem-solve.  

Here is my “Warfield perspective” of the ideal St. Mary’s student.

Honor code / Integrity promise; As a St. Mary’s alum, I commit, on my honor, to the following values:

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 believe in and support a community where all are welcome and made to feel like they belong.  I am intolerant of the harassment of individuals or groups.

Character - I accept responsibility for my actions.  I acknowledge and amend my mistakes and I try to do better.

Attitude - I am here because this is where I belong.  I recognize my obligation to be a positive contributor to the community and to make this a better place for my having been here.

Testing - No other person may assist, observe, or interfere with my testing.  My submitted test is my work only.  I will not use a 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.

And finally, a few quotes from some of my favorites: 

* Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. -Darrell K Royal  * Success is never final, and failure is never fatal.-Barry Switzer   * Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. -Swindol  * Equality is about giving everyone an equal chance, not giving everyone an equal result.-Milton Friedman