Church & School Discussion Topic

To what extent is your school a church for your students? Think beyond the school masses
and consider the day-to-day life of the school and perhaps your class in particular.
Consider the role for students, parents, administrators, teachers, and the church
community (clergy, youth ministers)
As an occasional teacher, I have been blessed with the opportunity to see how the
many schools within my board act as a church for our students. Firstly, prayer is a l arge part
of the daily life of our students. School days begin and end with prayer however, many
schools include prayer alongside meals, assemblies, pep rallies, and celebratory days (ex.,
National Indigenous Peoples Day). In addition, every classroom sets aside a designated area
for prayer and reflection. Students can use this as a sacred place where they can pray,
reflect, and simply deepen their love and connection with God. Lavin (2009) explains that
Jesus emphasized an overlying importance of welcoming and serving every person. In terms
of establishing a sense of community within our schools, our staff do a wonderful job of
ensuring that every student feels welcomed, loved, and a part of the mission of Catholic
Schools. Despite the high diversity and cultural differences, we see in our students, our staff
take immense pride in our ability to teach our students to value and respect diversity. Lastly,
I should mention that not only do our schools aim to be welcoming to our students but, we
also value the role of parents by always inviting them to be active members within the
Catholic School community.

In some of the elementary schools I have visited, I have noticed arrangements for a
Priest to visit individual classrooms on a weekly basis. He comes in for a brief period to
discuss small aspects of Mass that students wouldn’t normally receive unless they attended
Church regularly. This provides students with opportunities to engage in Church teachings
without actually attending. More importantly, it is an opportunity for students to connect
with their priest on a personal level, which I would argue is an experience they wouldn’t
normally receive in a regular Mass ceremony.

How can your school come to resemble church more closely? To help you answer that
question, think of what principles and practices you can learn from the early church
community that you can incorporate into your classroom or school.
Classrooms can come to resemble Church more closely by simply mirroring the type
of environment/community the Church encompasses. More specifically, teachers must
foster positive interpersonal relationships between all members of the school community to
build an overlying sense of trust and belonging. We must teach our students to value and
respect diversity by striving to identify and bring forward each student’s individual strengths
as they serve the common good. We should create opportunities for students to engage in
spiritual activities and Catholic teachings alongside the Ontario curriculum. Furthermore,
encouraging students to join extracurricular activities can help students feel more connected
to the school community. Lastly, we should do our best to build relationships with students’
parents in an effort to create a holistic Catholic school community that combines school,
home, and parish life.