Catholic Education makes all the difference in the world!

VIRTUE-FAITH-EXCELLENCE
       

The Many Blessings of a Catholic Education...
 
“Education is one of the most important ways by which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the person and building of community. Community is central to Catholic education ministry, both as a necessary condition and an ardently desired goal. The educational efforts of the Church, therefore, must be directed to forming persons in community; for the education of the individual Christian is important not only to his or her solitary destiny, but also to the destinies of the many communities in which he or she lives.” – (To Teach as Jesus Did, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Conference, 1972)
 

• Catholic Schools are successful because they make greater academic demands, provide stronger community support, and give more personal attention to students.
• Catholic Schools emphasize faith, academic rigor, self discipline, and high moral standards.
• Catholic Schools develop the whole person, challenging each student to reach his or her full, God-given potential.
• Catholic Schools are committed to preparing spiritual, moral leaders for the future of our Church and society.
• Catholic Schools offer students a welcoming, safe and supportive environment.

 
The Catholic Advantage

• Catholic schools are sacramental. Students have the opportunity to meet Christ regularly through the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and one another. They are constantly reminded of the presence of Christ in the Body and Blood that they receive at Mass as well as in the presence of the boy or girl standing next to them.
• Catholic schools are ecclesial in that they embody the most effective and successful effort anywhere to educate children in the faith and to prepare them to be responsible and faithful citizens for Christian witness and action in the world. Taking the teachings of the Gospel beyond the walls of an individual school and living them is the goal for every student.
• Catholic schools teach wisdom and life vision in the context of faith. They interweave reason and faith through subject matter, and help students form a Christian vision of the world that they not only strive to live out, but can articulate to others so that they can share truth and values. Curriculum is not taught only for the attainment of knowledge, but also for helping students embark on a search for truth. Through their study, students explore the mysteries of God and realize their call to live out their Catholic faith in an imperfect and challenging world.
• Catholic schools teach students how to become a part of a faith community in which their active participation as a "prayer" and "worshipper" is vital to the faith formation of all of the other members of their school faith community.
• Catholic schools help students look at the complexity of a modern world and figure out how to live the counter-cultural message of Jesus today. Catholic schools challenge students to respond to the needs of the poor, and to live in a spirit of love, generosity and kindness for all. We ask them to become a part of the "Word Incarnate."
• Catholic schools help students to understand the need for true justice in our world. By living out one's Catholic faith we cannot ignore the call of the Holy Spirit to make the world a just place for all peoples. Working for justice has the power to transform hearts and create a new heaven on earth.
• Catholic schools invite its teachers to join in ministry with them. Teachers are called to help students understand that with learning comes the obligation to apply the teachings of their faith as they use knowledge in their daily lives. This happens for students when they see this modeled regularly by the adults around them - when they see their own teachers living "faith-filled" lives.
• Catholic schools recognize the holiness of the covenant between themselves and parents. We recognize that cultivating the Catholic faith in our children is a labor of love on the part of parents, school, and parish.

 

Students at St. James Catholic School are taught by word and example, to truly love and respect every person.  In the Catholic environment and tradition, students see that all human life, without exception, has sacred dignity.  A beautiful compliment to the school environment is that the students themselves recognize that they stand out among their peers in showing compassion for the shortcomings of others. Conversely, students are taught to celebrate the diversity of gifts found in each person, and to celebrate the achievements of others because "a win for one is a win for all."  

FAITH
God is at the center of all that we do at St. James! Students who attend Catholic schools feel closer to their Faith, understand their beliefs, and are able to articulate the truths of the Catholic Faith.  This is because Catholic schools are able to address education in its integrity, which comes from the reality that a human person is both Body and Soul (visible and invisible).  Students learn that just because something is not seen, does not mean that it is not real.  Realities like love and truth are not seen, but they are very real.  For this reason, Catholic education is about fact-finding, but it is also about human formation.  Ultimately, our life finds its origin and end in God, which is why St. Augustine said many centuries ago that "our hearts are restless until they rest in God."  Students learn to understand their Faith and to be proud of their Faith, even in a world that is often hostile to belief in God.

READY FOR LIFE-LONG PURSUIT OF TRUTH, BEAUTY AND GOODNESS
The Catholic Church has long been the standard bearer in education.  Christianity brought the idea that education is for everyone, not just for the elite.  A central tenet of the Christian Faith is that every person should be able to live in the bright light of truth, in both science and religion.  Since God is the source of all Truth, students in the Catholic school learn that there is no conflict between faith and reason.  Understanding this reality has never been more vital than it is today. There is a cultural myth today, fabricating a conflict between religion and science, which spreads the tired old lie that the Church is the oppressor of scientific advancement.  Nothing could be further from reality.  The Catholic Church built western civilization and founded the university system.   Although the culture tries to stifle this fact and treat the Church as "oppressive", even the most surface level investigation discovers this to be patently false.  Students attending Catholic schools have the academic freedom to pursue Truth, and for this reason find themselves much better prepared for secondary school, college and life-long learning.  The graduation rate of Catholic school students is exponentially higher, and they feel much more confident entering into upper-level academic environments.

A WHOLESOME ATMOSPHERE

Students at St. James report that the school provides a unique, hospitable, and wholesome environment. Catholic school students often convey that their school feels like an oasis- a "home away from home”- a place where classmates, faculty, and staff feel like family.  Catholic education is unique in its approach in helping students discover, nourish and develop virtue.