March President’s Pen: How you can be part of our daily miracles

A good friend of our school came to see us last week. The last time he visited was nearly seven years ago when I first came to CRSM. I remember his skepticism then when I told him we were going to turn the school around by doubling enrollment, tripling the number of paying jobs in the Corporate Work Study Program, … Read More

President’s Pen: Last Day/First Day: Saying Hello and Goodbye to our Old and New Buildings

On Thursday, February 8, 2018, students, staff and faculty gathered for the last time in the “cafechapaymatorium” before moving to the new school building Tuesday, the following week. Here, President Preston Kendall shares his thoughts on the transformation from closing one chapter in the school’s story in “Last Day.” Below, in “First Day,” he also chronicles the beginning of the … Read More

President’s Pen: “CRSM is making big moves, watch out world!”

Coming back to school after the long holiday weekend was a cold slap in the face, literally!  The boiler had gone out and the thermometer hanging just outside the principal’s office in the “cafa-gyma-chapa-torium” read 47 degrees Fahrenheit inside.  It was just the latest in a series of facilities-related mishaps at our old, frail, grandmother of a campus. We take … Read More

December President’s Pen: Becoming a light for others

The quick walk over from the old rectory to the school was a bit cold with the sky already completely dark at 5:45pm. When entering our cafe-gym-a-chapa-torium on the second floor of the main school building, things changed completely. The one big room on campus was warm and festive; dozens of folding chairs were set up for a show. Across … Read More

President’s Pen: Grateful for our students’ generous spirits of giving

“For it is in giving that we receive.” Was St. Francis crazy or just way ahead of his time? I am more and more convinced that his faith made him prescient. Five students volunteered their time last week, staying into the evening to participate in our annual Thank-A-Thon. Each year, we pull about 150 names from our donor list and … Read More

President’s Pen: Honoring our supporters and paying our blessings forward

Excerpt from President Preston Kendall’s welcoming to attendees and supporters of the Fifth Annual ‘el-ə-vāt fundraiser Oct. 21, 2017 at VenueOne North Shore in Deerfield: Thank you so much for attending our fifth annual Elevate event! Thanks again to our event sponsors whose names are listed in your program booklets. Don’t you love this year’s “Day of the Dead” theme? … Read More

Grace: Seeing our students’ lives transformed

Fr. Alain Ambeault, Superior General of the Clerics of St. Viator came to visit us last week along with several members of his Council from all over the world. The Viatorians and their lay partners have been a big part of Cristo Rey St. Martin from the very beginning. Viatorians drove buses for the Corporate Work Study program, assisted with … Read More

August President’s Pen: Seeing beyond what is in front of you

Our school-wide assembly on the first day of school was the last in our old campus! Many firsts and lasts will take place this school year as we prepare to finally move to our new building. It is an old building, actually, an old Big Box store being repurposed as a state-of-the-art high school campus. As exciting as the preparations … Read More

June President’s Pen: Shaking hands with the future of greatness

As a high school administrator, few things are more rewarding than seeing your seniors walk toward you in their caps and gowns and being able to hand them their diplomas. It is a privilege I often feel I don’t deserve because this annual ritual represents the culmination of so much work by so many other people. While the students themselves … Read More