Adoration

It’s the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Upper Campus.  

St. Jude Catholic Church is quiet, peaceful, calm.  Ready.

Ready to receive Adorers.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his disciples why they could not spend just one hour with him in prayer.  It was hard for them.  It’s hard for us! In a world that is constantly demanding our attention through homework, practices, television, video games, and countless other distractions, we often struggle to find even a minute of silence in our days. Spending time with Jesus in Adoration was the perfect chance for the 3rd graders to, not only reset from the business of everyday life, but, more importantly, be with Jesus, face to face.

Talking on the phone with friends is a wonderful way to catch up with somebody, but there is nothing quite like being able to spend time with them in person, face to face. The same is true for Jesus; there is nothing quite like the times when we can be right in front of Him when we are looking at Him, and He is looking back at us. Thankfully, we are blessed to get this opportunity on a monthly basis at the Upper Campus.

Often times when we are in Adoration, we stress over trying to think of the “perfect” prayer to say to Him; we get anxious when it’s too silent; we think that the world is so busy that surely Jesus is tending to other matters; and we get disappointed if we don’t hear Jesus’ voice speaking loudly right at us. We often forget that Jesus loves us so much that all He wants to do is spend time with us. We don’t need to craft the best prayer or be the smartest theologian out there for Adoration to be worthwhile. We just need to be ourselves. Our very selves that Jesus died on the Cross for. 

Making Adoration a part of our month … our week … our day, is as important to Jesus as it is to us. Our faith can only grow by spending time with Jesus in silence. Thus, by making intentional time for Adoration, the 3rd graders are making time for their best friend. The One who knows them, loves them, enjoys them, and cares for them more than they can imagine.

Making Models with Math

     The 7th grade class worked hard over a few weeks to complete 3D models of a room in their houses. The project included many steps as students had to measure their chosen rooms and certain objects in the room. Next, students chose a scale factor that would work for their room and used proportions to convert each actual measurement into the dimensions they would use for their model. 

In school, the 7th graders brought in materials like cardboard, clay and Legos to build their 3D models. It was great to see students problem solving through the steps of building a model and helping each other when it got difficult! As projects were wrapping up, students were adding pictures or accessories to make their projects more realistic. Creativity and hard work were on full display as the 7th grade completed some amazing 3D scale models!

What the 7th graders learned:

• How to carefully and accurately build a model

• Some projects are fun!

• How to measure and use tools to construct a model

• Work hard and pay attention to what you are doing

• Use your time wisely

• How to use proportions

What 7th graders enjoyed:

• Making all of the tiny objects

• Adding in all the details and painting the project

• Taking all the measurements at home

• The model starting to look more like my real room

• All of it because it was fun!

Welcome Miss Sacha!

Hello! My name is Mary Sacha, and I am so excited to join the ASA family as a new K-2 teacher! I have been around the school for a couple years during the summer and holiday breaks helping out in the childcare rooms and the Eagles/Saints club. I was also blessed with the ability to step in as a substitute teacher at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. My involvement with ASA extends even farther back as I attended All Saints Academy when they first opened their doors in 2008. I graduated from ASA in 2015 proceeding four of my five older siblings who also graduated from ASA (Fr. David, Thomas, Andrew and Elizabeth Sacha). I then followed all my siblings to West Catholic High School, where I graduated in 2019.

My love for education started at a young age when I would volunteer at St. Alphonsus for the vacation bible school. My mother, Donna Sacha, also worked at ASA as a toddler teacher for the last ten years, and I would be in her room helping her decorate, clean or just help with the kids. She recently passed away due to lung cancer, but I have continued to pursue the passion we both shared in education. After high school I attended Central Michigan University to pursue an education degree.

During my summers in college, I did a variety of activities involving my Catholic faith and the youth. In 2020 I was a Totus Tuus missionary for the diocese of Marquette. In 2021 I was apart of the program staff at Catholic Youth Summer Camp in Centerburg, Ohio. In 2022 I worked at All Saints Academy for the whole summer, helping out where it was needed. In 2023 I returned to the diocese of Marquette as a team lead for another summer of Totus Tuus. I just recently graduated in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus in Integrated science and a minor in music.

In my spare time, I enjoy running, rock climbing, playing guitar, traveling to a new city or just spending time with my family.

I am very excited to be returning to All Saints Academy as a teacher where I can integrate the Catholic faith into every lesson. ASA has had such a crucial role in my formation as a life long learner and also as a faithful Catholic, and I am excited for the opportunity to be able to continue this legacy.