Archbishop J. Michael Miller writes in “The Holy See’s Teachings on Catholic Schools,” (Sept., 2005)
The Holy See, through its documents and interventions, whether of the Pope or of other Vatican offices, see in Catholic schools an enormous heritage and an indispensable instrument in carrying out the Church’s mission in the third Christian millennium. Ensuring their genuinely Catholic identity is the Church’s greatest challenge. With this in mind, he summarized more than fifty years of Vatican documents concerning Catholic schools.
In his document, Miller summarized five areas of Catholic identity in a Catholic School. Of those, #4 states, “…a school will be ‘Imbued with the Catholic Worldview.’ The Catholic Worldview calls for Catholic schools to include in every curricular area our Catholic faith. “This integration of the faith in all curricular areas, gradually develops every capability of every student: their intellectual, physical, psychological, moral and religious dimensions. It is intentionally directed to the growth of the whole person.
At Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic Academy, the classrooms engage students by including the Catholic faith in every curricular subject including art, technology, physical education and life skills. By integrating the Catholic Worldview in all subjects teachers are guiding student to the “Truth” and preparing students to be Disciples of Christ through living a virtuous life. Our teachers believe part of their responsibility as a teacher is to bring the Catholic faith alive the in the students’ everyday life.
Strong liberal arts foundational skills are developed at appropriate grade levels. These skills include:
Religious studies with emphasis on Discipleship | Composition | Memorization |
Sacraments | Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, geometry, and algebra | Art through the Ages |
Penmanship including cursive writing | Life sciences, physical sciences, and biological sciences | Healthy life habits to live a virtuous life |
In-Depth literature studies of classic literature | Historical perspectives | Service to others |
Grammar | Latin | Social Justice |
As the foundational skills become stronger, one will see students use the skills to further their learning through using and understanding words, applying rules of a particular subject, writing original compositions, comparing and contrasting information, understanding elements of argumentation, and solving real-world problems. Understanding and implementation of these skills will lead students to success in high school, college, and beyond. The emphasis on the liberal arts foundational skills at Blessed Miguel Pro Catholic School fulfills our mission of students receiving an integrated education steeped in a Catholic Worldview forming students who think critically, reason logically, articulate clearly, and live virtuously leading to the development of the whole person.