One of them is Lexie Neary, religion teacher at St. John School in North Charleston.

“This is my sixth year,” Neary said. “It’s the most unbelievable little school. The teachers there are truly amazing. They embrace children of all backgrounds.”

Her energy and devotion make an impact on her students as they advance from kindergarten to eighth grade.

“I get to see how faith grows at each stage. I get to see how the Holy Spirit works in them,” she said. 

Neary has a firm rule, however. “They are not allowed to use their computer.” At St. John’s, “the students learn how to interact with each other. They learn how to have a conversation. We focus on the whole person.”

Middle schoolers are given time for eucharistic adoration to sit quietly with the Lord and pray. Neary said the kids “get a sense of peace coming out of it,” and that it also teaches them to care for others.

Of course, reading, writing and arithmetic are crucial to education, but St. John offers much more by engaging the spiritual, mental and emotional needs of students.

“We all believe we have a vocation,” Neary said. “I believe each one of my students has a unique vocation. … We are a small staff committed to serving our students and their families.”

Diane Linton answered God’s call to teach in 1986. She spent two years at St. John, 10 years at Summerville Catholic School and another 19 years at Bishop England High School.

Along the way, she taught all three of her children, and now her daughter has been teaching at Bishop England for 10 years. Her children look back and agree they had an amazing education, Linton said.

“They thank my husband and I for sending them to Catholic schools,” she said.

Linton said she is glad she also went to Catholic schools, but as a teacher. It was difficult to retire.

“My last three months of teaching I cried every day,” she said. “I turned 65, and my husband had retired. It was the right thing to do. But I still substitute over there. I’m still involved.“

Mary Dodge just retired, too. After teaching for 22 years in “one big happy family” at St. John, she retired in May. 

“I left before I stopped loving it,” Dodge said, adding that St. John offers a lot to love.

“We’re teaching them at a young age what’s acceptable and what’s not. And they carry that forward,” Dodge said. “If they make a mistake, I ask them, ‘Would you do that to Jesus?’ and they say, ‘No.’ That starts from K4 on, and it builds on each and every year.”

St. John has embraced STREAM, Dodge said. It’s like STEM — which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics — but is a Catholic framework that adds religion and art.

“A lot of schools are using it because it’s so hands-on,” Dodge said, adding that the students love it and “want to learn.” It’s even more rewarding when they “get it” after struggling to understand a lesson or a concept. “That’s my magical moment. That is a blessing.”

Hopefully, with funding raised through Catholic Appeal of South Carolina, more children will be able to experience those magical moments.

“We want to be available for every family, particularly families that have multiple kids,” Timothy J. Dockery said of financial assistance opportunities. He is the diocesan secretary for Stewardship and Mission Advancement.

Dockery said he wants families who are struggling to be able to send their children to Catholic schools. It’s a worthy and important goal. Pledges to Catholic Appeal can help, including offering “our teachers a living wage. It’s not cheap to live in some of these areas.”

One of those educators is Deacon Scott Bowen. He teaches religion at St. Andrews Middle School in Myrtle Beach, and he wants his tweens armed with a solid faith before they go out into the world.

“We need to prepare them for when they leave,” the deacon said. “I think it’s a mistake to believe that middle schoolers are not ready for tough issues. They have questions about faith. They are meditating on these things deeply.”

As they meditate, these middle schoolers need to know that the Church has authentic answers for them.

“The Church is vibrant, beautiful and fierce,” Deacon Bowen said. 

It presents the truth to those who study it, and the annual appeal can assist more South Carolina children and families in gaining access to Catholic education.