4th Quarter

Welcome back from Spring Break!  Here we are, three quarters down and one to go! I know most of us have contracted Madness this March and have basketball on the brain, but this morning I had football on my mind.

If you have attended a football game--at almost any level--you know that when the 4th quarter arrives players on the sideline hold up four fingers. Many colleges claim this tradition's origination as their university, but most agree--especially Alabama fans--that it began with Bear Bryant's Alabama teams in the 60's and 70's. Regardless of the origin, the gesture stands for teams claiming, "the fourth quarter is ours!" In sports this is important because no matter how you played in the previous three quarters, you can lose the game by playing poorly in the final quarter. The reverse is also true.

As we start the 4th quarter at CKS, I explained to our students how this can apply to them at school: it is important to have a strong finish to the school year.  The way they spend this fourth quarter will leave a lasting impression as they remember this entire school year. Three quarters of hard work, good grades and a great attitude can be over-shadowed by a lackluster final quarter of slacking off and no motivation.

Consider a goal set at the beginning of the year that hasn't been met; the fourth quarter is the time to reach it! There are many days of school left this year and the fourth quarter has just begun, through the intercession of St. John Bosco and Mary, Help of Christians, let's make it the best quarter yet, Lions!