Dear Families,

In an upcoming Bulletin Article I discuss the state of Education and how a true Education needs to be rooted in Truth. Our current Modern Educational System misses the mark on many levels. I wanted to give you a preview of my thoughts.

As a school, we joined a professional organization that I thought was worth announcing as well. Please note that though I referring to Catholicism, as that is what we are, I believe the information discussed can be applied to any Christian denomination as they see fit.    

The excitement around the end of school is always something you can feel in a school building. The teachers and students, though they love one another and enjoy learning together, are ready for a break, or renewal process. This same thing can happen in marriages, vacations, jobs etc. Renewals are an important time to reflect on where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going.  

Currently, there is a renewal going on in Catholic Education. Modern education, inspired largely by John Dewey and Horace Mann, aspires to ensure well-behaved citizens of the country. It also seeks to remove the divine from education, and not to acknowledge the truth that we all know, that God is real and he wants to have a relationship with us.  

This approach will not work for Catholic or Christian families. Our education needs to include the truth that God exists and that we are able to understand that there are certain truths in the world around us, that God's goodness surrounds us, and the beauty of God’s world. We know that God has created us for more than just contributing to the progress of society. We are called to grow in our knowledge and love of God. When we use this lens, it starts to change our approach to education. We look at students as future Saints and not just their future profession.

A leader in this revival of Catholic Education is the Institute for Catholic Liberal (free) Education (ICLE). I recently attended one of their conferences and came away inspired by their mission and vision for what Catholic Schools can be! We have signed up to be a member school of the ICLE. This will give us access to their conferences and professional development, and allow us to post job positions on their website, which attracts Catholic educators. This will be instrumental as we seek to ensure the education we are providing is intentionally and authentically Catholic. 

Principal William Waech