What’s Recently Happened:
Marquette Catholic High School’s (MQTT) students recently returned to school on January 3 for the 2022 spring semester. After a relaxing two-week break, the MQTT community is ready to get back into learning with new schedules and even some new teachers.
The MQTT community continues to follow safe COVID-19 guidelines and remains in-person to give the students the important, hands-on learning experience they need to reach their highest potential.
What’s Coming Up:
Students are preparing and obtaining service hours early on through school trips to places such as Reins of Life every Friday, volunteering at St. Mary’s Food Pantry, and even some service field trips.
These service opportunities give students the ability to give back to the community and help those in need. Students are able to apply religious concepts learned in theology classes in the real world, such as the idea of giving back, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, etc.
Catholic Schools Week begins January 31. This gives Catholic schools the chance to celebrate their parish communities such as the students, teachers, and staff.
MQTT normally begins this week by having students from each grade level decorate a hallway for their class. This gives the students a chance to come together and put their creativity to use.
Other activities during the week consist of mass. All Catholic schools in the Gary dioceses come together at MQTT to celebrate mass as a school community.
To celebrate students, last year MQTT gave students free pizza, a pajama day, and even held a talent show to showcase and shed light on gifted students. This is a fun way to bring together MQTT students and learn more about one another.
Another thing coming up in the MQTT community is the Theatre Trivia Night. Theatre Trivia Night is a fundraiser for and hosted by the performing arts department in MQTT. It allows anyone to rent a table and answer trivia questions. Theater Trivia Night will take place on January 15. Come show support for MQTT’s performing arts department as it prepares for its spring performance!
Teacher Spotlight:
MQTT welcomes a new member to the theology department, Kristin Scandora. Scandora graduated from DePaul University in 2008 with her bachelor’s degree. She then earned a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 2013.
Before teaching at MQTT, Scandora volunteered at a church as a Sunday School teacher up until 2017, when she began teaching as a career.
Her interest in theology blossomed during her high school years. Now working with high school students herself, she can help spark an interest in theology in her new students at MQTT.
“I was always very curious about theology and religion as a high schooler, so I gravitated towards entering back into that dialogue. Being able to facilitate those great conversations and discussions about God, theology, the meaning of our existence, and the deep questions of our hearts,” said Scandora.
Scandora's deep passion for teaching and theology is easily seen. She stated that she wanted students to take away a life-long spiritual curiosity. Spiritualism is very important in our lives. Everyone is riddled with those deep questions of our existence, and Scandora just wishes to shed light on those questions and encourage students to ponder about these things.
Scandora is excited for her new journey within the MQTT community.
“I’m excited to be in a smaller atmosphere that’s different from my previous school, Saint Viator. It gives me the chance to get to know everyone on a more personal level,” said Scandora.
This one-on-one communication and learning MQTT offers is definitely one of the best things MQTT has to offer. It gives each student the opportunity to interact with their teachers individually so that they can learn at their own pace and level.
Student Spotlight:
Jenna Kirby is a senior and in the class of 2022 at MQTT, making this her last semester of high school. While Kirby is sad to leave the family she’s made with MQTT, she’s also very excited for what’s to come.
Kirby is really excited about graduation on June 6 and college life starting in August. Kirby said she is excited for the new social life to come such as meeting new people, experiencing new things, and independence.
While she is excited about many things with college, she’s still a bit nervous about the workload in college. Luckily, MQTT has taught her time management skills and how to maintain a healthy balance between school, work, extracurricular activities, and a social life.
“They taught me how to grow in my relationships, how to develop and grow in my education and make the best out of any situation I find myself in,” said Kirby.
MQTT offers students an abundance of teachings outside of the basic curriculum. These teachings are what really make MQTT a college preparatory school. Students are challenged and encouraged to find new and better ways to manage their time, life, and school. They are able to find better study methods. They are challenged to reach their full potential. MQTT teaches many things that students are going to need not only in college but in life as well.