St. Ambrose 8th Graders Look Forward to High School as They Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

Our Daily Show Interview! St. Ambrose 8th Graders: Catholic Schools Week and Off to 9th!

GODFREY - St. Ambrose Catholic School recently celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a volleyball game, a basketball contest, and reminders that the students can always count on their Catholic education as they prepare to enter high school.

Several eighth grade students recently stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to discuss their experience with Catholic Schools Week and their excitement to join the Marquette Catholic High School and Alton High School communities. Principal Bob Baird noted that the students work hard every day, and Catholic Schools Week was a chance to celebrate this dedication and facilitate connections.

“It was a great week, a great celebration,” Baird said. “This year’s theme was ‘United in Faith and Community,’ so it’s a reminder to the students that, of course, as followers of Christ, we’re all united not only in St. Ambrose but with all Catholic schools and our community. St. Ambrose is a community, each grade within St. Ambrose is a community, and obviously their families and then the greater Alton-Godfrey community. This connection is what makes all of our Catholic schools special, and that’s what we celebrate each year.”

Students shared that their favorite part of the Catholic Schools Week activities was the volleyball tournament. Students played against their parents, their teachers, and each other.

It lit a fire for some of the kids, who expressed their eagerness to join sports teams at the high school level next year. Others said they can’t wait to foster “school spirit” and cheer for their teams in the student sections during games.

“I’m really excited for all the sports that we’re going to play and all the people we’re going to meet,” said one student.

Another eighth grader noted that he will enjoy getting to know more teachers and students in the high school setting.

“I’m definitely looking forward to high school because you get to move around a lot more and meet a lot more teachers,” he said.

This excitement is great news to Baird, who shared that it’s “always special” to watch the eighth grade class graduate and go on to high school. He is eager to see how the current St. Ambrose eighth graders mature and grow in the coming years throughout their high school careers.

“Each group is very different in their composition and the friendships they’ve made and connections they’ve made. That’s one of the most special things, seeing the different connections the students have,” he explained. “But like they mentioned, those connections are somewhat limited. We’re a small Catholic elementary school. They move onto their next step to Marquette or Alton High or wherever and broaden their horizons, keep those connections they have, but make many new ones. And so that’s a special part of the growing-up process that we get to experience.”

Baird and the students gave special shoutouts to the St. Ambrose teachers, who go above and beyond to make sure each student is supported and prepared for high school. The kids were vocal about their excitement to join the high school communities, make new friends, and continue to grow their Catholic faith in a new setting.

Baird added that St. Ambrose students go on to do great things, and he can’t wait to watch this eighth grade class’s success as they enter high school and beyond.

“We’re obviously very proud when we send these students off to high school,” he said. “When they go off to Marquette or Alton High, year in and year out, we’re seeing our graduates continue to have success. Of course, that makes us very proud. That success is academic and athletic and then recognition for who they are as individuals and their actions. Lots of St. Ambrose Saints continue to have that success, and it makes us very proud.”

For more information about St. Ambrose Catholic School, visit their official webpage.

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