The love of Christ is experienced in community. Written like a true disgruntled former employee of an excellent Jesuit high school. Community in the Catholic school expresses the love of the Trinity. More important than the questions of whether or how to re-open Catholic schools is the question of what makes Catholic schools worth re-opening. One of the outcomes of Catholic education is that the classroom or other ministerial setting develops into a community of faith. When there is room for non-Catholic students, the school’s identity remains thoroughly Catholic. The teacher in Catholic education is an example of personal sanctification and Christian living. As the curtain fell on another school year and the children, beaming in neat white-and-blue uniforms, waited to receive their awards, the pastor led everyone in calling upon the Lord. Catholic School students learn that God is present and active in … Data are important goes beyond data. Are there religious symbols, Bibles, crucifixes, copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Morality in the Catholic school teaches students anchor their choices in the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. By accident or by design, when a group of people comes together for a common purpose, connections are made and community forms. Excellence is pursued, relative to the native abilities of students, in academics and non-academics for the greater glory of God, and not for the greater glory of the student, the school, or the religious order running the school. Learn how your comment data is processed. In deciding how to lead prayer on any given day, the teacher might want to consider the following questions: Which type of prayer is best suited to the content that I am teaching today? Which is best suited for the concerns of our school community today? “My parents sent me to Catholic elementary school because they were not thrilled with the school system the town I lived in provided. To enhance mutual respect, the teacher must guide the creation of student work groups. Faith integration is at the center — the heart and core of the teaching and learning process in the Catholic school. Sign up today for free resources, activities, lessons plans, special promotions, and much more! The students come to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ in others. What values do classroom rules convey? Treating Scripture as a text that is of cultural, social, historical, and literary significance enhances its relevance in the lives of students. What makes a school Catholic is unmistakable and joyful public fidelity in word and deed to all Catholic doctrine. Letting students choose the members of their own work groups empowers the unjust social structures of the informal school community. Each discipline must touch the core of Catholic teaching: faith integration. The goal is not to have the science teacher or the physical education teacher teach religion in their curriculum. A faithful primer and a timely reminder for every Catholic parent, educator and administrator. The message of Christ is proclaimed in the Gospel. Authentic Catholic colleges give students the opportunity to form a coherent orthodox Catholic worldview as the context for the specialization they pursue. This research aims to look at how a group of primary head teachers' in the North West of England perceive the Catholic nature of their schools and how they give their account of Catholic education for twenty-first century Britain. In a truly Catholic school, students are graded on their understanding of content, including Theological and Philosophical content, and not on their assent to it. This may seem like a very simple... Community. Students’ individual skills and talents are nurtured, while student achievement and self esteem are strongly promoted. Everyone is respected and valued. Teachers New to Catholic Schools. Our God is a triune God. To enhance mutual respect, the teacher must guide the creation of student work groups. In order to put their students in touch with reality, truly Catholic schools teach the Laws of Thought: the Law of Noncontradiction, the Law of Correspondence, the Law of Identity, the Law of Excluded Middle, and the Law of Sufficient Reason. Nourish, our witness with prayer. Imbued with a Catholic Worldview throughout its Curriculum. Account for the hope that characterizes your lives by living the truth which you propose to your students. Catholic schools can say “no” to a student with behavior issues easier than public schools can. My kids are grown but my grandchildren are not…. To the extent that professionals at the school do not understand truly Catholic education, vehicles of professional development are used to form the faculty and staff as a community of Catholic educators. May be reproduced for classroom/parish use with full attribution as long as the content is unaltered from its original form. To integrate the teachings of Christ and his Church in the classroom effectively, the minister of Catholic education must know, love, and serve Christ. Would an observer sense a difference in the school when students and staff are not present? Spending time in Scripture, like spending time in prayer, helps teachers to know Jesus. How one knows reality goes beyond the scientific and empirical. The environment of the Catholic school reflects the love of God. They are then taught the Catholic answer, which is comprised of the above doctrines. They are taught to pursue objective truth and always follow it because all objective truth ultimately leads to the Absolute Truth, the one true God. Thus, the Catholic school is an authentic expression of the Church’s mission. Faith helps to bring perspective knowledge and sheds light on its meaning for one’s life. Module 2: Role of the Teacher. Fluency with the Catechism of the Catholic Church is essential for everyone working in a Catholic school, but especially for the faculty. So a truly Catholic school provides a thorough understanding of that which distinguishes the Catholic religion from every other religion—the Magisterium. Made me think. All staff members must be familiar with the key principles of Catholic social thought and have ready access to educational materials. Finally, attending a Catholic school makes a difference, particularly among non-Hispanics who attended a Catholic high school, in the importance of a … Is there an underlying understanding that, as Catholics, there is a different way of knowing? Are students taught that learning to think does not mean leaving one’s faith behind? God’s very nature is a relationship of love. “Therefore all in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or are care it, are called to holiness …” (LG, 39). Evangelization happens when individuals experience the love of Jesus Christ. Knowledge has to be gained to pass exams but a … As facilitators of learning, teachers must help their students embody these principles through engagement, integrated curriculum, and differentiated instruction. An Incarnational View of the World. The community of the Catholic school is deliberately built and distinctively Catholic. Learning in the Catholic school is a means to bring students to Christ and empower them to bring Christ to others. In Lumen Gentium, the Church was reminded universal call to holiness. This holistic approach provides an educational foundation for life to the full, meaning the full development of the person – … While the conscience formulates its judgments according to reason, it does so in conformity with Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church. Students are exposed to as much of the prayer and retreat tradition of the Church as possible. How is discipline handled? In this way the prayer is real, authentic, and meaningful. Through content, service, and the search for truth, beauty, and perfection, each individual is brought closer to God. Hence, a Catholic school is truly and fully Catholic, not just because of the religious instruction, but also because of the “school part”. As someone who never attended Catholic grammar or high school, I am not exactly the most qualified to break down what makes a Catholic school … They are made aware of the constant availability of God’s forgiveness, properly sought, for the failure to live up to Catholic doctrine. Faith integration does not mean repeating the religion curriculum in each academic class. Truly Catholic schools explain to students that while every academic subject has its own rightful autonomy from the other subjects (as asserted, for example, in Gaudium et Spes, 36), the Catholic Faith completes and perfects every academic subject (as argued, for example, by St. John Newman in The idea of a University). We have learned that “Excellence in Academics” and “Fostering Catholic Values” is insufficient for the mission of a … Scripture is a primary source, parts of which date back to over 3,000 years ago. Does it nurture a sense of pride in students? What in the world are you talking about?! Students are not treated as products on a Catholic assembly line since Catholic Faith cannot be manufactured. Students are shown that each academic subject sheds light on only one dimension of reality in order to help them avoid reducing reality to what can be known in a particular subject. Since the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, the Eucharist must also be the source and summit of the life of the school and of anyone in a position of authority. The goal of faith integration is to seamlessly weave Catholic identity into how the school teaches all students and all subjects. Are there religious symbols, Bibles, crucifixes, copies of the, Without a doubt, the teacher is responsible for the emotional environment of the classroom. Spirituality in the Catholic school is a search for God. Parents, educators, administrators, and students should celebrate that their school aspires to be Catholic in all its functions and programs, a school that is Catholic from the inside out. Catholic schools help students to develop a formed conscience reflecting deliberate sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of life. Marty was raised by devout Catholic parents on the Near South Side of Chicago, became groovy and radical (pc before pc was cool) in high school and college, and eventually discovered that the revolution most needed is conversion to orthodox faith in Jesus Christ, thanks to C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Paul the Great, and Pope Emeritus Benedict. It is a faith community which fosters positive relationships among learners, teachers and parents, enabling them to feel personal … If a non-Catholic student is uncomfortable in a Catholic environment, then he or she should attend another school. How does love for students come through even in difficult situations? Thank you! Speaking to Catholic-school teachers, Pope Benedict XVI had the following words of encouragement: To all of you I say: Bear witness to hope. Kelly, Francis D., Ed. Without a doubt, ministering in a Catholic school is a vocation rather than an occupation. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. The Faith permeates all aspects of the school. Students are taught the differences between induction and deduction, valid argumentation and fallacious argumentation, and sound argumentation and unsound argumentation, as well as the classic forms of deduction and the classic fallacies. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. I think this article was informative and provided food for thought. Holiness is no domain of the clergy and professed religious, but is the destination of all Christians. What makes a school Catholic is what makes the Church Catholic. He or she lives a life that is a synthesis of faith and culture — exemplifying what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the 21st century. The message of Christ is proclaimed in the Gospel. What they all have in common is a dedication to a common project, usually a departure from some academic orthodoxy, and a sense that the group is working on its own to build something new. Furthermore, little is done to show teachers how to accomplish this goal, which is foundational to the Catholic identity of the school. So every student is instructed on the following related doctrines: At a truly Catholic school, every student is taught to ask, Why be Catholic? A positive step in this direction is to foster an attitude of mutual respect and an expectation that everyone works together in the classroom. Members can become a “Eucharistic community that comes together to pray, hear God’s word and reflect on it, receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and go forth to serve.” This is the basis for celebrating liturgy. These aims cover the whole curriculum. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Second, Scripture is a legitimate historical source and should be referenced where it illumines the content being explored. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Furthermore, students are taught that a good Catholic is one who is trying to assent in thought and deed to all Catholic doctrines. Anyone approaching the community should be drawn in by these values. Students are taught that good Catholics agree on the Church’s social doctrine while being free to have reasonable disagreements about social analysis and prudential judgments. WHY: we have Catholic schools- History of Catholic Education in WA (Peter Tannock) To authorise an act or representation of the people Transform humanity from within “It is quite clear the all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earthly society.” (LG, 40). Learning in the Catholic school is a means to bring students to Christ. When students are guided to approach perfection, they are brought closer to God. All instructors and staff members support Theology as the most important subject. The goal of faith integration is to seamlessly weave Catholic identity into how the school teaches all students and all subjects. Catholic schools are at the service of society in both a critical and supportive manner. It is not an end in itself. In order to set this tone, Catholic school teachers are called to a sanctity of the highest order. For the minister in any aspect of Catholic education, the question becomes, “How is the community that forms in my classroom, library kitchen, gym, or club different from that which forms in the same type of setting in a public school?”. The rich tradition of Catholic social teaching sh be integrated into the whole school rather than relegated to religion or theology classes. Discipline will be inevitable. First, teaching in the Catholic school is a means to an end, and that end is salvation. Therefore, all students are introduced to the basics of Philosophy. They also are shown that Philosophy is the foundation of every subject. When literary forms in the Bible-genealogies, legal instructions, prophetic oracles, historical narratives, devotional lyrics, poetry, proverbs, letters, parables, short stories, essays, and mystical visions of the future-are studied in a critical manner, much can be learned. The Blessed Sacrament is always available. A truly Catholic school gives its students as many opportunities as it has resources for experiencing and practicing the Catholic Faith in an orthodox way. The Catholic school is characterized by personal attention to the whole child. Which is best suited for the personality of this group today? Catholic schools develop discernment and critical thinking. Resistance to such formation is not tolerated. 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