#GSCFamilyFriday
Please email your family’s GSC story and accompanying picture(s) to [email protected]!
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Debbie Thompson is the new Enrollment Director at Good Shepherd Catholic School – an added position in the GSC Advancement Office – and she has started working three days a week to bring new students and families into the fold.
Debbie already is fully acquainted with the #GSCCommunity. An alumna of Queen of Peace School, Debbie and her husband, George, currently have two children at GSC, in grades four and six, and their oldest son is a 2022 GSC graduate and a sophomore at Lansdale Catholic High School. "I could not be happier with the learning experiences my children receive at GSC,” said Debbie. “The community here is one big happy family." Debbie has done a lot to contribute to the community and family feeling at GSC through her work as a Good Shepherd Home and School Association officer for the past six years. She has planned and run many GSC events, including the school’s annual Christmas Bazaar. “Through these events, we have met other families who work towards the same goals of supporting our school," Debbie remarked. Meanwhile, George is in his third year as a Home and School executive board member, and as a licensed electrician who has his own business, he has volunteered his expertise on many different projects, and he has been working on the wiring for GSC’s school-wide air conditioning project. When not at GSC, the Thompson family spends a lot of time at Dance Time Dance Academy in Dresher, where all three children take multiple classes throughout the week and are on the studio’s competition team. They travel frequently to Disney World in Florida, and they enjoy spending time at the Jersey shore, or on any beach, for that matter. "I am really excited to have this opportunity to work at the school we love and cherish,” Debbie continued. “I am hoping to share my enthusiasm about GSC with you!" To learn more about Good Shepherd Catholic and the school’s exceptional educational offerings for students in preschool (ages 3-4), kindergarten, and grades 1-8, please email Debbie at [email protected] or call the GSC Advancement Office at 215-886-0126. #GSCFamilyFriday #GSCCommunity #ComeGrowWithUsAtGSC |
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Posted to GSC's social media accounts on September 24, 2021.
Bonus picture!
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Here we are at the end of the second full week of GSC’s 12th school year. This is the third year at Good Shepherd Catholic School for the Carlin family, whose oldest son, Tommy, was in eighth grade during their first year here. “Better late than never, right?!” exclaimed Stephanie, who celebrated her wedding anniversary with husband, Tom, last week. The Carlins married at Queen of Peace Church 15 years ago.
“Tom and I chose GSC because we felt a smaller class setting would truly be best for our children,” Stephanie explained. They have four other children, including their youngest, Finn, who is in Mrs. Maureen Reily’s pre-K3 classroom this year. In between Finn and Tommy, a sophomore at Holy Ghost Prep in Bensalem, are Shane, Lydia and Philip. “Our family was welcomed into the GSC family with open arms from day one,” continued Stephanie, “and for that we are truly grateful.” As you can imagine, the Carlin household is full of activity, and the parents are constantly on the go since all of their children enjoy playing sports. Each week, though, “Sundays are for dinner at grandmom’s!” Like many GSC families, the Carlins “love Disney” and “traveling in general,” and they vacationed this past Summer in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, staying at the Disney Resort there and having their picture taken on the beach. “We continue at GSC because our children are thriving, happy, and genuinely love attending school,” said Stephanie, summing up her family’s commitment to Good Shepherd Catholic. #GSCFamilyFriday #GSCCommunity #ComeGrowWithUsAtGSC |
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Like many current and past Good Shepherd Catholic School parents – and grandparents and now graduates! – Valerie Riling is a nurse. She works on the Post-Partum floor at Abington Hospital and on the Behavioral Health Unit at Bryn Mawr Hospital. Valerie is pictured here with “our blended family,” which includes her husband, Steve; Anthony, Steve’s son who attends school in Upper Moreland; Taylor, a GSC seventh grader; Brynne, a GSC second grader who made her First Holy Communion at Queen of Peace on May 1; and baby Brandon, “a future GSCer!”
“I grew up in a Catholic family and always knew I wanted to provide my children with the foundation of a Catholic education, such as the one my parents provided for my siblings and me,” said Valerie. “We started our journey at Good Shepherd Catholic in 2013 with our daughter, Taylor,” Valerie continued, “and even after moving out of Abington Township and being closer to another local Catholic grade school, we decided to continue our children’s education with GSC because we became part of a community which had a piece of our hearts.” “This school and its faculty have grown to know us not just as bodies that fill the building, but for the people we are,” Valerie added. “They have guided us through struggles and celebrated with us in happy times, such as the recent birth of our son, Brandon. I wouldn’t change the educational experience we have sacrificed to give our children for the world.” Outside of GSC, Brynne enjoys dance, and Taylor plays club volleyball for the TNT Roadrunners, who are going to the AAU Nationals in Orlando in a few weeks! In fact, in addition to supporting GSC fundraisers – Valerie’s father-in-law, Gary, won the Home and School’s April YETI® Raffle – the Rilings have been doing their own fundraising to help cover expenses for Taylor's and the family’s trip to Florida. #GSCFamilyFriday #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
Posted to GSC's social media accounts on June 4, 2021.
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Posted to GSC's social media accounts on May 28, 2021.
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As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, we are pleased to feature the Kleinschmidt family on #GSCFamilyFriday! For the past two years, the Kleinschmidts have been the top fundraising family for GSC’s Dance For Education.
Mom Amy is a registered nurse at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and she is wrapping up her two-year stint as a Good Shepherd Home and School Association board member. She and her husband, Bill, a plumber, have fourth- and first-grade children at GSC, Ethan and Brynn. The GSC building is a familiar place for the Kleinschmidt clan. Bill, his father and his uncle are Queen of Peace School graduates. So is Amy’s mom, Maryellen McGonigle Bennett. “I love everything about this school!” said Amy, who attended St. Luke in Glenside for elementary school. As a medical professional and parent, “I am very proud of how our school has functioned throughout the pandemic.” The Kleinschmidt’s enthusiasm for GSC has paid off for them, too. As part of GSC’s Family Referral/Endorsement Program, they received tuition credits for encouraging four preschool families to enroll in GSC this school year. According to Amy, “GSC is a great community to be a part of, and they welcome everyone with open arms.” #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
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#GSCFamilyFriday picks up again with the Shires, who are new to Good Shepherd Catholic this school year.
As mom Carol explained, “While our route to GSC was not one we ever planned, we are so happy we ended up here. All three of our children were doing well and trucking along in public school and then bam, Covid.” The onset of the pandemic and mandatory statewide school building closures last March certainly did force many parents to think differently about their children’s early and middle school education. “All three of my children struggled with virtual, not to mention mom here trying to teach three children in three different grades, third and under,” Carol continued. “All summer my husband, Matt, just knew that virtual could not be a sustainable thing in our household. So we began calling the local Catholic schools. Our local parish was full, so we decided to call GSC and crossed our fingers there were openings.” “By the grace of God, all three of our children were accepted, and off they went,” Carol happily recounted. It wasn’t a random call to GSC, however, that brought the Shires to GSC’s front door. Carol’s sister, Eileen Coughlin, was a fourth-grade teacher at GSC for its first nine years. “Now I have to be honest,” Carol admitted, “I am not sure if we would have ever left our public school, but all I can say is we are so thankful we did. I always thought bigger is better, but I am now learning and seeing that that is not always the case. Our kids are thriving and, most importantly, HAPPY! They absolutely love school and are beyond comfortable in a smaller setting.” To sum up her family’s positive GSC experience, Carol, who is one of the school’s steady daily outdoor lunch recess monitors this year, said, “Although this year has been different due to Covid restrictions, our family still feels like we belong and for that we are truly thankful. Kids matter and your family matters and that is what you get at GSC. You are known and you are cared for.” As you can see in the accompanying picture, Carol, Matt and their daughter and two sons enjoy sports, and the Shire family loves BBQs, traveling and going to Sea Isle (NJ) with family. #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
Posted to GSC's social media accounts on April 9, 2021.
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Posted to GSC's social media accounts on September 18, 2020.
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"When we walked into an Open House at GSC during Catholic Schools week 2016, we were hooked,” explained Carolyn Armani, who is the treasurer of the Good Shepherd Home and School Association. She is joined on the board this year by her husband, Art, who is the Co-Chair for Publicity.
“We felt such a sense of family and community, and when we scheduled a private visit for Caitlin to the pre-K3 room, we were instantly welcomed,” Carolyn added. The class was having a Valentine party with their fourth-grade ‘buddies,’ and Caitlin jumped right in.” The Armanis also have a son at GSC. “The faculty and staff at GSC are outstanding, and we love that the school welcomes and encourages parent involvement, whether it be a class parent, lunch parent, or Home and School Board member,” said Carolyn, who is a “regular” lunch recess monitor. Meanwhile, Art is GSC’s “resident DJ,” including for our annual “Dance 4 Education,” which set a school record for donations in January 2020. “Being involved in our children's learning environment has been one of the best decisions we've made, and continue to make year after year," Carolyn and Art concluded. Thank you to the Armanis for sharing their Good Shepherd Catholic School story for #GSCFamilyFriday! And prayerful best wishes to Caitlin and her classmates and PREP peers who will make their First Holy Communion tomorrow morning at Queen of Peace Church! #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
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#GSCFamilyFriday continues this week with the Donovans, who got some beach time in together in Wildwood, NJ, earlier this month.
According to Cathy, who is the Good Shepherd Home and School Board Hospitality Co-Chair, “While GSC is in our neighborhood, it was when I first got a phone call from a parent there to consider enrolling our daughter that I felt part of a community. It was a real conversation from the start and that authenticity continues today. Now both of our daughters receive exceptional educations rooted in faith and where compassion for others is cultivated. And as GSC parents, we are part of a network of truly supportive and genuine families.” Cathy is married to Scott, who is a member of Good Shepherd’s Board of Limited Jurisdiction and serves on their Development Committee. Speaking of their two daughters, Cathy continued, “Lily and Maribel have also been involved in the school’s strong arts programs, from after-school dance, which won accolades in a 2020 regional competition, including for our teacher, to after-school art, with an innovative instructor who has become like family. The school’s annual musicals are also inspiring and inclusive, where all kids have a role and gain confidence together to be on stage.” Cathy summed up her family’s GSC experience, saying, “During such chaotic times in our world, being part of such a compassionate community at GSC has been a blessing.” #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
Posted to GSC's social media accounts on August 21, 2020.
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Posted to GSC's social media accounts on August 14, 2020.
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Dancing across our social media pages this #GSCFamilyFriday is the Thompson family! As elementary school students themselves, the parents attended GSC’s legacy schools: Debbie at Queen of Peace and George at St. John of the Cross in Roslyn. Debbie is the Good Shepherd Home and School Association Vice President this year, and George – who runs his self-named electrical services business – is on board as the organization’s Property Chairperson.
“We absolutely love being a part of the GSC family!” said Debbie. “We felt it was important for our children to be in a smaller, more personalized school.” The Thompson kids – Max, Greta and Preston – are entering seventh, third, and first grades at GSC, and one of their extracurricular activities is taking dance classes at Dance Time in Dresher, where Max and Greta are members of that school’s competition team. “We love everything Good Shepherd Catholic School has to offer,” Debbie continued, “especially our wonderful arts department! The care and safety the faculty and staff show for our children means so much to us!” Please email your family’s GSC story and accompanying picture(s) to [email protected]! #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
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We’d also like to introduce you to the Rozier family on this first #GSCFamilyFriday!
Jazmin was the Good Shepherd Home and School Association president during the 2019-2020 school year, and she is serving as the secretary on this year’s executive board. She and her husband, Wesley, Jr., have fourth- and first-grade sons at GSC – Saesar and Wesley III – and they say that “GSC is our school of choice for several reasons. We appreciate the communication, commitment of teachers/faculty, size, diversity, cost, arts program and curriculum.” Jazmin adds, “The experiences have been valuable for my outgoing children and we look forward for the years to come!” In fact, their daughter, Elanah, already is talking about being a kindergarten student at GSC during the 2021-2022 school year! #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
Posted to GSC's social media accounts on August 7, 2020.
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Posted to GSC's social media accounts on August 7, 2020.
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As we prepare to start the 2020-2021 school year masked and socially distanced, we would like to use our social media accounts to connect students, parents, families and teachers. “Community” is one of our core mission values. So look for #GSCFamilyFriday posts in the weeks (and months) ahead.
We begin with the Hess family! Jessica is the president of the Good Shepherd Home and School Board and she and her husband, Jeff, are the proud parents of Nathan, going into seventh grade at GSC, and Sarah, who will be a student in Mrs. Gregory’s fifth-grade classroom. “We chose GSC for its size and faith-based education,” says Jessica, “and we stay because it feels like family!” The Hess family loves GSC’s “awesome, growing STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) program” and they enjoy the school’s “wonderful music and theater” offerings. They are pictured here at Franklin Pierce Lake in New Hampshire with their fur baby, Lilly. Please email your family’s GSC story and accompanying picture(s) to [email protected]! #GSCCommunity #GSCService |
