BACK TO SCHOOL
GUIDE GREETINGS BREBEUF JESUIT FAMILIES, I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer so far! It’s been great to see many of our returning students and especially our new incoming freshmen and transfer students around the building for summer school, team workouts, and work-study. July is the time when we are gearing up and looking forward to the coming school year! This past year was my first as Principal, along with our new President, Fr. Jack Dennis, S.J. It was a fantastic year, and we are truly excited about the future of our school. I feel blessed to serve as the 11th Principal of Brebeuf Jesuit and to experience the support of our fantastic students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters. When I think about what makes this the great school that it is, I think first about our Jesuit character and the way it is exhibited throughout our school community. I am constantly being re-inspired as I learn about the many layers and meanings of Jesuit education. Here are some words from Pope Francis, written for an address to a group of Jesuit school students and educators: “In following what St Ignatius teaches us, the main element at school is to learn to be magnanimous. … What does being magnanimous mean? It means having a great heart, having greatness of mind; it means having great ideals, the wish to do great things, to respond to what God asks of us. Hence also, for this very reason, to do well the routine things of every day and all the daily actions, tasks, meetings with people; doing the little everyday things with a great heart open to God and to others. It is therefore important to cultivate human formation with a view to magnanimity. School does not only broaden your intellectual dimension but also your human one. And I think that Jesuit schools take special care to develop human virtues: loyalty, respect, faithfulness and dedication.” I love this idea of being magnanimous, and I feel like I see it every day in the halls of Brebeuf Jesuit. From just this summer, I think of an incoming freshman named Bo Richey, from Zionsville. Bo had planned to spend the summer with a combination of work-study along with football practice, but an injury derailed both of those plans. So instead, Bo has completed his work-study hours with office tasks here – filing, organizing, and labeling for several projects. And he has still gone to football workouts to be present with the team through the summer. Though he could have been sullen about the injury – as he said, “I like playing sports, not watching sports” – instead he has been a great worker in every way, has endeared himself to the staff and has even chosen to see the bright side of the situation while looking forward and working toward being back on the field in the fall. So, as we gear up to return to school, I want to invite you to reflect on the places in which you’ve seen magnanimity in our community. It’s just one aspect of Jesuit education which gives us all something to which to aspire. I hope that you are as energized for the coming school year as I am! Included in this mailing is a variety of information that we hope you find useful. We aim to provide you with great service across the board, so please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. The Principal’s Office is open throughout the summer, and our office number is 317.524.7080. I also encourage you to email me directly any time at gvanslambrook@brebeuf.org. On behalf of the entire faculty and staff of Brebeuf Jesuit, I want to thank you for entrusting us with your child’s high school education, and for your support and prayers for the coming school year. A.M.D.G,
Greg VanSlambrook, Principal