Discover the Difference…
The third apple of our logo represents
what makes us different and is symbolic of who we are.
When cut horizontally, the apple has five
core seeds:
First Core Seed: Formators
- Parents, as primary religious educators
- Pastors/pastoral leaders, principals, catechetical leaders,
teachers, parish staff and entire community are formators
Second Core Seed: The Religion
Curriculum
- Taught from K-12 in a consistent, age-appropriate way in each
of our 101 schools; consists of 8 strands:
| - Church |
- Doctrine |
| - Lifestyles |
- Old Testament |
| - Morality |
- New Testament |
| - Sacraments & Prayer |
- Social Teachings / Justice |
Third Core Seed: Community
- Our schools are communities where students are loved and respected;
where Christian behavior is expected, differences are celebrated,
and families are welcomed.
Fouth Core Seed: Worship
- Students attend Mass regularly and begin each day and each class
with prayer. We celebrate together our common faith; we welcome
those other faiths.
Fifth Core Seed: Service
- Students are challenged to reach beyond themselves in service
and works of justice to the poor, the sick, and the underprivileged.
Research“Thus it follows that the work of the school is irreplaceable
and the investment of human and material resources in the school
becomes a prophetic choice. On the threshold of the third millennium…[the
Catholic school] is still of vital importance.” Sacred Congregation
for Catholic Education, The Catholic School on the Threshold
of the Third Millennium (1997.)
Research on Catholic Schools tells us:
- 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 liturgy
as well as in the presence of the boy or girl standing next
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 ofthe 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, rather 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.
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For more informatin, visit the OCSAA website or call Catholic Youth and Schools Service Office at 419.244.6711
All information on this page taken from the Diocese of Toledo CYSS webpage.
