EHS Parent Appreciates Dominican Values
by Lisa Sotis
The Sotis family, from left: Bill, Dora Nemes (Global Outreach student), Maia, Lisa, and Andrew.
Our oldest child is a sophomore, yet even in our short history with Edgewood High School (EHS), we have experienced the Dominican values in action.
Dominican values at EHS are delivered to students and their families through EHS friends, faculty, and staff. Borrowing from a popular Casting Crowns song, “If we (collectively) are the Body (of Christ),” then OUR words should be teaching, OUR hands should be healing, and OUR love should be showing. At EHS, they are.
One memory from my daughter’s freshman year is of lying awake one night and realizing that, when we selected a high school for her, we did not appreciate the magnitude of the decision. She is our oldest, so we had no way of knowing how much time a high school student actually spends in the building (and how little time she spends at home). This realization surfaced after our daughter had spent quite a few 12- and 14-hour days at school due to participation in sports, band, and clubs. I felt grateful for the caring, respectful, and highly-supervised environment at EHS. I believe our commitment―faculty, parents, and students―to a higher standard of behavior and caring plays a key role in making EHS safe. I see the Dominican values of compassion, partnership, and community lived out in the way the students, faculty, and staff look out for one other.
A highlight of my family’s experience with EHS has been participating in the annual Edgewood in the Community Day. I have participated in this day of community service for the past two years. The spirit of teamwork and cooperation demonstrated by teachers, students, and staff is remarkable. The sight of 15 buses lined up along the drive, ready to send students to serve brings tears to my eyes! Throughout the year, EHS students provide almost 30,000 hours in service to the community. I see the Dominican values of justice, compassion, partnership, and community lived out as the EHS students reach out to help others.
This year, our family is experiencing a new facet of the EHS mission through our involvement with the Global Outreach (GO) hosting program. Living with us for 10 months is a young lady from Budapest, Hungary, who has come to the United States through a Diocese of Green Bay Catholic hosting/exchange program. The GO students learn about the ways our Catholic faith is lived out in the United States. By allowing the GO student to attend tuition-free each year, EHS makes a tangible contribution to building up the Body of Christ. This exchange demonstrates the Dominican values of truth and justice.
Finally, my thoughts on the mission-driven experiences we have had at EHS bring me to the future: our 8th-grade son will be at EHS next year. I didn’t know it would be possible for a child to anticipate high school as much as he does. He knows the curriculum will be challenging, but with teachers and administrators devoted to living the mission, the stage is set for spiritual and academic success.