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Catholic Schools Convocation: What is it with those shirts? 

It was hard to miss the teachers from Glen Burnie’s Monsignor Slade School at the Convocation – or the staff of St. John Regional Catholic School in Frederick at the Aug. 29 Catholic Schools Convocation held at Church of the Nativity in Timonium.

Teachers and staff wore matching t-shirts, all celebrating leadership, and sat together in the enormous nave of the Church of the Nativity, making it obvious they were on hand for this annual start to the new academic year.

Slade teachers wore shirts, in a vivid green, that mark the school’s 65th anniversary year with the message, “Inspirirng leaders since 1954.”

St. John Regional School’s shirts were superhero red. “Take the lead” was phrase across the front. The back read, “Be a superhero for kids” accompanied by a cartoon-y “POW!”

“It takes off of the leadership theme,” explained Julie Davis, a PRIDE teacher at the Frederick school. She said last year’s yellow shirt marked the archdiocesan year of service.

Teachers at St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park wore dark blue shirts, proclaiming “I have called you each by name” – framed by an old-fashioned rotary telephone and curly cord.

St. John’s started giving out blue shirts the year the school received the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon award, according to Tina Lewnes, a 34-year veteran teacher and alumna of the school. Both students and staff wear their shirts on Blue Mondays.

Teachers from St. Augustine School in Elkridge were in royal blue, wearing shirts they’ll wear on Thankful Thursdays. On the back was the hashtag: “#ShareTheGood.”

Karen Munter, a new member of the staff, but a longtime parent, said the shirts with the school logo were the brainchild of principal Denise Ball.

“It seems to create a lot more unity,” she said.

Also see:

Baltimore Archdiocese educators encouraged to make ‘spiritual truths evident