In a recent gospel reading (Mt. 15:21-28) we hear of a Canaanite woman whose daughter is “tormented by a demon”. She searches out Jesus and begs Him to cure her daughter. Jesus initially appears indifferent, but she is not to be denied and continues pleading. Jesus takes pity, telling her “Your faith is great”, and He heals her daughter. The woman persists and is rewarded for her efforts! To persist when faced with a difficulty, be it large or small, is the NDAA core value for this month. During the two school years that we’ve had the opportunity to mentor scholars, the value of persistence has been prominently on display.

Our first experience was tutoring second grade math at Holy Cross Catholic school. Second grade focuses on the foundations of math: addition and subtraction, measurement, money and telling time. We worked with the same two scholars for the entire year. When we started in the fall, there was lots of counting on fingers and guessing at the answers. One student was an excellent reader but struggled with math. The other grasped math easily but found reading word problems challenging. When we had them work together, they helped each other excel in both reading and math. It was so rewarding to see how their persistence allowed them to grow not only their math skills but their confidence and enthusiasm for learning!

Last school year, we worked with small groups of students at Holy Angels School as they honed their reading skills. Each student would take a turn reading aloud, while the others followed along. We focused on pronunciation, the meaning of new words, comprehension, reading with expression, and parts of speech. The scholars worked hard to sound out new words and understand the meaning of the passages. Those listening, provided their input and ideas as well. The scholars showed persistence in their own work and in the way they helped and interacted with their fellow classmates. 

The most visible displays of persistence can be seen in the many extraordinary efforts that the NDAA Community has undertaken during the pandemic. Administrators, teachers, and volunteers worked many long hours with the students and families to ensure that the academic, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the scholars were met. Briefly, this included: preparing and producing on-line, grade appropriate curricula for the students; working with families to ensure that they could access the learning materials; and when necessary, providing meals during the week and on the weekends for students and their families. Highlights of these and many other ongoing efforts to ensure a timely and safe return to classes for the 2020-21 school year are summarized in the August NDAA e-newsletter and video. Clearly, a great example of moving forward and succeeding in the face of a very difficult situation by being persistent!