Growing up in my hometown, everyone and their mother went to a small Catholic school. Starting in the community when you were just in pre-k, all the way to 8th grade – your small Catholic school was your home. You knew everyone and everyone knew you, your priest was your best friend and the fall carnivals were your favorite time in the world.
Here are 10 ways you know you went to a small Catholic school:
1. Your uniforms were the peak of fashion.
You had your fly little skirt and terrible PE uniform that you dreaded wearing. No doubt by 6th grade you were called into the principal's office because you learned the art of rolling your skirt and socks – but nothing says fashion like those black Sketchers, right?
2. Pizza on Fridays >
This was the best day of the week: walking into the lunchroom, getting a tray and heading to your favorite lunch ladies line to get two slices of greasy Papa John's pizza.
3. Your class size was set in stone.
From about pre-k 3, your class was set and determined. You knew everyone in your class and the other homeroom and it was absolute chaos when it was time for them to switch up homerooms each year. What if you could not be with your best friend? The world might as well be ending
4. Field Day was lit.
Other than the carnival, this was easily the best part of the year. Every fall and spring there was a field day in which you would get together the day before with your BFF's to make those special shirts and tie dye shorts to be the best team. Snow cones and cotton candy all day-- it was the best.
5. Thursday Mass was also lit.
Every Thursday was just a mess. No matter the fact that you have had church every Thursday and your 50-year-old school should have this under wraps, your teachers could never figure out Thursday schedule. At 9 a.m., you'd head to mass and the rest of the day was truly shot after that. Maybe you'd get to hold hands with your crush during the Our Father or they had a lot of songs to sing to even further prolong class.
6. Early release on that one Friday a month was the single best day of your life.
I don't care who you are, this was the best. What is better than jumping in your best friends mom's mini van at 1 p.m. on a Friday to head home to a play date.
7. All the familiar faces.
From the ladies who worked at your front desk, to your little sister, you and your oldest cousin all having the same third-grade teacher– familiarity was home. Your poor school nurse never got too mad when you got sent to the office for the third time that month for wearing nail polish and she had to go find the remover again.
8. School dances were TOO lit.
From the 6th-grade dance to 7th and 8th-grade formal, when Kelly Clarkson came on you were dropping your Coca Cola to run onto the dance floor and jump around for three minutes.
9. Catholic school parents knew everything about everyone.
Everyone – and I mean everyone – knew your parents and you. There was nothing you could do unnoticed... to a good and bad extent.
10. It always felt like home.
No matter how many years, states, or miles out you are, you could go back and it would scream home in some way. The power of the Catholic Church I guess.