RAMbler Blog

 Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  As teachers, our hearts pitter-patter when we hear this phrase because we know it’s true.  Students who are “true readers” tend to exhibit some or all of the following generalizations in our middle school classrooms:  
 
1. Strong, unique writing skills  2. Higher academic vocabulary  3. Faster and higher comprehension of nonfiction content reading  4. More creative  5. Can think within, beyond, and about the fiction books read and discussed in class  6. Can share their thinking about reading with partners, small groups, and whole class  7. Brings a plethora of ideas when it comes to a new project, task, or assignment  8. Scores high on standardized tests. 9. Not likely to be a behavior issue in class  10. Responds thoughtfully to written reading responses  
 
Being a language arts teacher, it has been my honest observation that students who like to read and are constantly devouring books show qualities from the list above.  
 
     So, why should we continue this love for reading as an adult? Reading for just 30 minutes a day has been proven to change our health for the better. I am not taking about reading an Instagram or Facebook feed; I am saying if you read an actual book. According to Yale researchers, not only can reading add years to your life but there are many more ways reading does a body good. A great novel can take you to a far-away place or a long-lost time, it can make you think and laugh, and even teach and inspire you. 
 
1. Reading can boost Brainpower- Becoming engrossed in a story has been shown to enhance connectivity in the brain, which improves brain function. Using MRI scans, neuroscientists at Emory University found that when a person is reading fiction, it stimulates and strengthens the language-processing parts of the brain. It also increases connectivity in areas associated with physical sensations and movement.  
 
2. Reading may help keep away Alzheimer’s- No matter how old you are, reading books can help preserve memory, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. Just like muscles in your body, the brain needs its version of exercise to keep it strong and healthy. Consider curling up with a book to be that perfect workout! Researchers found people who frequently exercised their minds later in life—by reading, writing letters, or visiting the library—had a 32% lower rate of mental decline compared to those who didn’t engage in such activities.  
 
3. Reading improves your empathy- Getting sucked into a good fiction book may make you more empathetic, or able to understand what others are thinking and feeling, according to research. One study showed that reading literary fiction, specifically, can improve your 
capacity for empathy, where reading nonfiction or popular fiction doesn’t have the same effect. 
 
4. Reading reduces stress- Reading can ease your stressed-out nerves by as much as 68%, according to reports by researchers at Sussex University. They found reading was more effective at fighting stress than listening to music, sipping a cup of tea, or even taking a walk. And it only took six minutes for the study subjects to relax once they started flipping pages! 
 
5. Reading helps you fall asleep- Experts agree that establishing a relaxing bedtime routine helps calm your mind and signal your body that it’s time for shut-eye. Reading is a great way to wind down—as long as you’re snuggling into an old-fashioned paperback or hardcover, not an e-reader or tablet. The blue light that’s emitted from electronic devices actually activates the brain and *suppresses* the release of melatonin—a hormone that induces sleep. Research shows reading from a screen can make it harder to fall and stay asleep, so stick to paper books. 
 
     We can all agree that a longer life would be great, less stress would be ideal, more sleep is needed, and having a stronger mind is necessary. So, step away from your computer/phone for a little while, crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while (at least 30 minutes).

Love means like if you love someone. And that person loves you back. And treats you fair, that’s love. And love can mean like you love your family. And love can be joy. – Natalie

Love is joy. Love is kind. Love does not keep recordings of wrongs that others do to me. Love means to be happy. – Scarlett

Love is a warm feeling inside my heart like a puppy or a kitty. – Lily

Love means happiness. Love mean you make other people happy. Love means giving toys to people who do not have any. Love means being kind to other people. – Kaylen

Love is happiness and love is joy. Love means spending time with my family to me. You spend time with friends. You have fun together. You celebrate your family’s successes. – Addie

Love is my family loving me. I love my family. My cousin loves me. My grandma loves me. I love my grandma. I love my cousin. My grandpa loves me. I love my grandpa. My friends love me. I love my friends. – Erin

Love means happiness. Love is a thing that makes people happy. Love is something very very nice. Love begins when people meet and then it never ends. Love is like a sunset. Love is like a sunrise. – Harry

Love means a lot to me because it brings happiness and joy. Love is amazing because it brings joy to heaven and earth. God has love, I have love, and everybody has love. – Logan G.

Love means to me that my mommy loves me and my family loves me and even God loves me. My 12-year-old brother loves me, too and my baby sister loves me, too. – Sofia

Love is joy. Love is kind. Love doesn’t want what belongs to others. It is a good feeling. Love is good to have. – Rafael

Love is happiness and love means happiness to me. Because you spend time with family. – Reilly

Love means gentle things like hugs and kisses and cards for the homeless and people in the hospital. I love what God has given us. He is nice. If it weren’t for Him, we all wouldn’t be alive. I love God. – Hunter

Love means happiness, kindness, niceness, and sweetness. Be kind to one another and bless one another. And be happy. – Molly

Love means kindness, happiness, peace, love and being sweet and being extremely nice to others. If someone is lonely, be loving and do something with them. If someone is poor, give them money. – Jaxson

Love is happy, kind, and beautiful. Love means to be grateful and God has love. I like love because people share love. I share love, too. – Declan

Love is something that your family desires. It means everything to God. And you love your family and your cousins and your friends but you still love God, too. – Tristan

Love means everything. Love means spending time together. Love means love is in the air. Love means giving. Love is kind. – Carter

Love means friends. I think love means nice. I think love means care. – Ethan

Love means friendship and I think you love your friends. And like you love God. – Joseph

Love means a lot to me. Love means happiness, joy, and peace, but the greatest thing that has love in it is Jesus. Jesus is a kind and loving man. He will do anything for his people and he loves them. They also love him. This is what love means to me. - Beckett

Love means caring to me. I love somebody and I will care for them. – Fulton

Love means giving hugs. And being nice and kind. And having fun with your sister or brother and pray and rest. – Lucas

Love is a Man named Jesus and giving. Helping others and the world. And caring for others. – Logan D.

Love is caring about friends and family. Loving each other, putting time into friends. Love is not just kissing is it? No, it is not. – Lucy

Love means you care. And you are kind and listen. And understand what people say. And that is what love means to me. – Charlotte

Love is being sweet to other people. And being loving to other people. And being nice, kind, and loving. – Matthew

Love means being kind to others. Love means giving to others. Love is not being mean. Love is giving valentines. My opinion of love is treating others the way you want to be treated. I think love is sharing. – Ruby

Love means caring, being nice, loving, and sharing. Love means helping the poor. Love means being kind and helping others. – Piper

Love means that a person likes another person. And it means that someone might get married. – Martin

Love means that people like you. And that people want to spend time with you. – Isabella

Love means that it’s a nice thing to do. To help somebody. To love the church. If somebody is hurt, help them. – Wyatt

Love is they kiss on the lips. They hug. They help each other. – Matthias

Love is that I care about love. Being kind and listening to what they say. If they are sad, I will cheer them up. – Gelan

Love is happiness. And it is like you saying you love your family. And like me saying I love my family and uncles and grandparents. And great grandparents. And puppies and kittens and dogs and cats. – Preston

Love is caring. Caring makes me happy. Everyone should care for others. – Audrey

Love means to be kind. You like somebody. – John

Love means two people really like each other. And that you have feelings for someone. And that two people care for each other. – Chase

Love means to me spending more time with others. Love means being sweet, kind, and helpful. Love means doing what other people want to. Love doesn’t mean giving people stuff. – Izzy

This year marks the 46th year that Catholic schools, nation-wide, set aside a week to highlight and celebrate the gift of Catholic schools. From Sunday, January 26, 2020 to Saturday, February 1,2020, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Memphis, in Tennessee will join with Catholic schools across the nation to celebrate with special Masses, assemblies, and activities for students, parents, teachers, parishioners and community members. This year’s theme is “Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed.”

The Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee was established in 1971. Since 1971 our Catholic schools have served more than 352,000 students.  This year 5,210 students are enrolled in our 10 parish schools, Diocesan High schools and 3 private Catholic schools. The mission of our Catholic Church is the mission of our Catholic Schools: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19.

A Catholic Education is an act of love. It is an act of love that forms the next generation of Catholics in our faith and tradition, that manifests a parents’ (and sometimes grandparents’) sacrifice and commitment that results in leaders who serve like Christ himself.  What an awesome gift to give to our children!

The new liturgical year started on December 1st, the first Sunday of Advent. During the season of Advent, we prepare for the Lord’s coming in Bethlehem. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas, our daily readings from both the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours will be excerpts and passages from Scripture that highlight Israel’s longing for God’s arrival and foretell the birth of his Son.

However, the first Sunday of Advent’s readings always pertain to the Second Coming of Christ. The purpose is to remind us that our Lord has not come once to never return again. Therefore, when we celebrate with a spirit of anticipation for the Nativity, we should harmonize that anticipation to his coming again at the end of time. Just as the people of Israel longed for God to come and take his place as king over all the nations, so should we long (as the new Israel) for him to return and put an end to evil forever. This also means that Advent, much like Lent, is a season of spiritual renewal.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at the hour you do not expect.” –Matt 24: 42-44

Our Lord reminds us that we do not know when he is coming back to judge us according to our faithfulness to him. Can we really afford to put off our striving towards holiness any longer? For the Christian man or woman, time is always of the essence. Let us approach the new liturgical year with a renewed sense of dedication to growing closer to God. We would do well to make spiritual resolutions during this timeframe in the same way we make resolutions at the beginning of the New Year.

As Roman Catholics, we have all the graces we need to begin our journey towards God. We have Masses being celebrated daily at parishes all across the city, we have outreach programs and charities that desperately need our help, and parish communities in abundance to pray with and for as we continue to spread the Gospel in our Diocese. We must keep in mind that the Kingdom is in our midst and that we have to make contact with that truth on a daily basis. As St. Josemaria Escriva once said, “Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him.”