Eight Rules for Catholic Schools

My two children start classes for the first time in Catholic elementary school this week. It’s a time of excitement and measured anxiety in our home.

My 9-year-old boy was homeschooled from K through 4th grade, and will now enter a fifth grade of many boys and girls. How will he adjust, fit in, adapt to not being the only student in our basement classroom?

My 5-year-old boy went to Catholic preschool and now enters kindergarten in the same school as his brother. I worry less about his adjustment because he has always gone "out" to school, and got along well at preschool. But as a father, I am still concerned that all goes well.

Now that both of my boys will be educated outside the home, I am giving serious thought about what I want from the school, as a Catholic parent.

Here is my list of 8 Rules for Catholic Schools:

+ Teach the Catholic faith in its fullness, no apologies (but some apologetics). Of course, religion class should be attractive and enjoyable, but don’t be afraid to have the kids memorize the seven sacraments, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed. They don’t have to understand everything fully now (I’m still exploring the depths of the faith!), but if they memorize the essentials they can always have one of those "aha!" moments later on.

+ This means, of course, that they must learn that there is heaven and hell, good and evil, reward and punishment, and that life is either a movement toward or away from God. All teaching and learning should be conducted with this reality as a backdrop.

+ Demand and expect excellence – and model that excellence in the way classes are taught, discipline is given and problems are handled. Catholic principles apply to all subjects, not just religion class, and our faith teaches us to pursue excellence in human endeavors, with the understanding that sometimes humans fail.

+ Teach the sacredness and beauty of human life, that each person is a unique, once-and-forever creation of a good and loving God. Instill this ethic by the respect and fairness shown by teachers toward one another and toward the students.

+ Teach them to pray, and pray with them. A Catholic school should be a place of prayer, which means a "lifting up of the heart and mind to God." This should be the spirit not just during morning prayers or first Friday Mass, but in every subject and in every class. Even during math and computer science, a spirit of "lifting up" the mystery of human inquiry and effort should be present.

+ Engage their bodies in healthy recreational activities – sports, outings, nature walks – that will thrill their souls as well, and give them a spirit of camaraderie and school pride.

+ Love them as the children of God that they are, precious and open to eternity. Build a school environment of love, care and protection that respects their freedom yet is never slow to correct and discipline when needed.

+ Remember that we, the parents, are their primary educators. Return them to us each day whole and inspired. Work with us to help them discover what God has in store as they grow from our care.

There are many more points I could add, but these will do for this week, at least. Please add your own list in the comment box below!

What do you expect from your Catholic school?

Comments

[Marie]

As a former Catholic School Parent and a firm believer in Catholic education I now find myself the parent of a Catholic School teacher. Our son very much wanted to teach in a school he believed in and he loves his job. Still, this duel experience have given me a unique perspective. I would like to offer cautions to both parents and teachers at Catholic Schools.

I would remind Catholic School parents to resist the desire to protect and shield your children from every failure. Helicopter parenting is rampant among Catholic parents who are "paying" for their children's education. I found this appalling as a Catholic School parent and I find it disturbing to watch my own son now deal with it as a teacher. Catholic Schools frequently tout their college acceptance statistics but rarely record their students’ college retention rates. I have watched the best and the brightest from my children’s classes crash and burn in college when they no longer had their parents’ constant educational management. As an employee of a university, I can tell you some parents attempt to continue this process after graduation!

To Catholic school teachers - resist the tendency to give preferential treatment to those children's whose parents are donors or hyper-volunteers or those whose parents can afford all the technology and tutors. The child on tuition assistance whose single parent works shift work deserves just as much consideration for his low tech efforts as the student whose amazing project was actually parent produced.

To all involved – gossip is a sin. The “family” atmosphere of Catholic Schools can lend itself to the worst kind of “family” behavior.

[Michael Shurtleff]

Great post! I hope certain "Catholic" schools in my diocese take note of it, because their notably liberal agenda is an embarrassment (not to mention dangerous to the faith and morals of the kids who attend.)

[Jessica @ Moneyless Momma's]

LOVE this post - we also send our children to Catholic school - which is right across the road from our house - parents are encouraged to participate in the classrooms, pop-in at anytime...etc. So I would say I expect "involvement!"

Also, I expect "blessings" this comes in sooo many forms, but one neat thing our priest did on the first day of school this year was to bless our new playground equipment! As a convert myself, I love that there are so many blessings!

[Arnold]

As parents, it's not like the old days when you gave the kids "to the sisters" and they taught them the faith. We really have to be careful that a school that has a Catholic name really is Catholic. We will be held responsible if we don't.

[Jerald]

The whole concept of "in loco parentis" has been lost. Schools today think they have ultimate control over your children, and they can negate the parents by teaching what you would never have them learn. Even Catholic schools can do this in terms of sex education, where your child is made to feel weird for opting out.

[Greg Willits]

Great article, Brian. I would add:

1. Help them develop a passion for the Eucharist and a real understanding of what it is. Don't assume kids can't understand it.
2. Help them develop a routine of praying the Rosary and asking Mary for help in their spiritual lives.

Both of these areas could, technically, fall under the "help them to pray" section, but those two specific areas are areas I believe have helped our own kids.

[Ed Drewsen]

We took our kids out of Catholic schools due to their lack of all around "catholicness" if you will. I graduated from the local Catholic schools, and I will not allow done to my kids what they did to me and my schoolmates. You have reasonable expectations of your catholic school, but I suggest you go back to homeschooling before you are dealing with quite unsatisfactory results for your time and money. We homeschool now.