SCHOOLS CAN NURTURE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON IN MANY WAYS

During the Christmas season, there always arises the question of religious influence in the public schools. As the school superintendent, I must admit two things.

First, I do not believe that the public school is an appropriate avenue to exercise any undue specific doctrinal influence on students as they represent diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. This is the responsibility and privilege of our families and churches.

Second, I do believe that for schools to neglect the nurture and development of the spiritual growth of the inner child is to neglect our full responsibility. This growth includes kindness and consideration for others, responsibility for the welfare of the less fortunate, and efforts toward peace and understanding. Some would consider this to be religious training. Others think of it as the true Christmas spirit in action.

Some might encourage our schools to become totally secular and godless in nature. If so, we would have to consider dramatically changing our current example to our children and community. We now have the privilege of feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, the prisoners and helping the widowed and elderly.

The "goodwill toward men" message of the Christmas story can still be enacted by providing free and reduced lunches for those in need. We can continue to provide the clothes closets at elementary schools to help underprivileged children. We are able to provide help to the deaf, the lame and the blind in our special-services programs. Our teachers provide the joy of visiting many sick children when they are in the hospital. Those who teach the GED program in prisons can continue this service even though they may thereby be enacting godly principles.

Educators fill a multitude of our churches' ministries, such as youth leadership and Sunday-school teaching. This role modeling daily carries over into their professional positions. Student choral singing and visitations in the senior centers can continue, as well as canned-food drives, blood drives, toy drives and many other service projects. This kind of spiritual education may be almost too close to seek peace on Earth for the philosophical comfort of some, but I believe it is the very best kind of education for the development of our society.

Regardless of the question of the manger scenes, the posting of the 10 Commandments or prayer in schools, I am convinced that, by and large, our children are being served by good, honest, decent people who daily express their love for God and others by their example of selflessness, kindness, mercy and justice. Against such, there is no law.

I see "Joy to the World" expressed daily in the happy faces of our children. What a wonderful privilege to work hand in hand with families to mold and shape young lives in ways that mere scholastic facts and figures can never quite fulfill. To be part of the growth of the human spirit is to make an impression that can affect eternity. The true soul of education can do no less and no more than the welfare of the soul of the child. For this, we in the schools are thankful. We are thankful that our students cannot only have life, but also have it more abundantly.

To all of our friends and neighbors, merry Christmas from the Cape public schools.

Dan Steska is the superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District.