Florida Senate - 2012                             (NP)    SR 932
       
       
       
       By Senator Altman
       
       
       
       
       24-00880-12                                            2012932__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing January 29 through February
    3         4, 2012, as “Catholic Schools Week” in the State of
    4         Florida.
    5  
    6         WHEREAS, the tradition of Catholic schools dates back to
    7  1606, when Franciscans opened a Catholic school to teach
    8  reading, mathematics, and the principles of the Catholic
    9  religion in St. Augustine, and
   10         WHEREAS, this Catholic school was followed by other
   11  missions established by Spanish missionaries long before the
   12  settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, and before the Pilgrims
   13  landed at Plymouth Rock, and
   14         WHEREAS, today, 82,464 students attend 213 Catholic
   15  elementary and high schools throughout this state, which employ
   16  6,669 professional educators, and
   17         WHEREAS, the Constitution of Florida states that all
   18  persons have inalienable rights, among them the rights to pursue
   19  happiness and to be rewarded for industry, and recognizes the
   20  education of children as a fundamental value of all Floridians,
   21  and
   22         WHEREAS, Catholic schools provide young people with a
   23  strong foundation of faith, values, and academic skills needed
   24  to become responsible citizens of our state and nation, and
   25         WHEREAS, the Catholic Church views parents as the primary
   26  educators of their children and parental involvement as playing
   27  a major role in their children’s education, and
   28         WHEREAS, Catholic schools believe that teaching morals and
   29  values is paramount in the complete education of the student,
   30  since every member of society continually makes moral decisions
   31  and value judgments, and
   32         WHEREAS, Catholic schools educate many students of other
   33  faiths, some of whom are economically disadvantaged or have
   34  special educational needs, and
   35         WHEREAS, Catholic school educators are dedicated to
   36  producing faith-filled, academically strong students who also
   37  commit themselves to service, and the influences of a Catholic
   38  school education — faith, knowledge, morals, and discipline —
   39  last a lifetime, and
   40         WHEREAS, January 29 through February 4, 2012, has been
   41  designated as “Catholic Schools Week,” with the theme “Catholic
   42  Schools: Faith, Academics, Service” adopted by the National
   43  Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States
   44  Conference of Catholic Bishops, and
   45         WHEREAS, the common good of the state of Florida is
   46  strengthened through the existence of Catholic schools, NOW,
   47  THEREFORE,
   48  
   49  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   50  
   51         That January 29 through February 4, 2012, is recognized as
   52  “Catholic Schools Week” in the State of Florida.