ST. BENEDICT SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
Jesus Christ is the foundation for our school community. In our community, we strive for the education of Catholic values and faith that promote faithfulness and stewardship. St. Benedict is also committed to the development of the whole child, while maintaining an environment that provides an academic program designed to develop the diverse learning abilities of each child.
St. Benedict works together to nurture the individual character of each child and embrace the cultural and ethnic diversities.
The school community encourages praising others, modeling peace, building values and emphasizes the importance of each individual’s responsibility towards others.
PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of Saint Benedict School is committed to the intellectual, emotional and spiritual development of each student. The school community teaches the importance of our Catholic faith encouraging students to work hard and pray hard.
We strive for the excellence in teaching knowledge and critical thinking skills to our students while maintaining values of respect or themselves, others and, above all, God. In the spirit of Saint Benedict and Saint Augustine, our school promotes love and learning through the praising of one another, emphasizing the importance of assuming responsibility of one’s actions, and invites students to help build a community of faith, mutual respect, with peace at home, at school and in our community.
STUDENT LEARNING EXPECTATIONS
Religion
1. Students will understand the Sacraments and their importance in receiving God’s grace.
2. Students will understand all aspects of the Mass, including its order, purpose, and significance to the faith.
3. Students will act as stewards of the Catholic faith by striving to serve as examples of moral development, strong ethics, and personal integrity.
4. Students will be familiar with the lessons taught in the stories presented in the Old and New Testaments.
English
1. Students will be able to write paragraphs that are clear, coherent, and focused, while progressing through the stages of the writing process.
2. Students will be able to edit written works for appropriate grammar and mechanics.
3. Students will be able to employ on multiple strategies as they write using a variety of process elements to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Mathematics
1. Students will be able to perform and understand concepts that involve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
2. Students will be able to apply problem solving skills and strategies to solve real world application.
3. Students will be able to identify and apply basic geometric formulas.
4. Students will be able to use graphs and indicate points, linear equations, and inequalities.
Literature
1. Students will be able to apply knowledge of literary elements to understand written text.
2. Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills to analyze written text.
3. Students will be able to accurately verbalize written texts.
4. Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of written texts through a variety of methods.
5. Students will be able to think conceptually by interpreting both written and oral information.
Science
1. Students will utilize hands on activities, critical thinking skills and logic to make abstract information concrete and useful.
2. Students will problem solve and demonstrate proficient use of the scientific method to show how a sequence of events interact to produce and interpret a set of results.
3. Students will know that matter, which is all around us, is made up of atoms and exists in three physical states.
4. Students will know that cells are basic units of structure and function in all organisms.
Social Studies
1. Students will recognize social justice and injustice in action within a historical context.
2. Students will become familiar with the political, economic, cultural, and scientific contributions of different civilizations throughout history.
3. Students will understand that peace is always preferable to war when resolving any conflict in human history.
4. Students will recognize the contributions of notable individuals in changing the course of human history.
OUR PATRON SAINTS
SAINT BENEDICT
Saint Benedict is known as the founder of Western Monastic life. He was born in Nursia, Italy in 480. He studied in Rome and later went to the mountains near Subiaco where he lives as a hermit in a cave for three years. During his time as a hermit, a raven would bring him food to eat.
Many young men heard of the holy life Benedict was leading and wanted to join him. He soon established his first monastery at Monte Cassino where he wrote the Rule of St. Benedict which guided the monks in their daily living. The monks remained there praying, feeding the poor and teaching school. The motto St. Benedict established for his monks was “Ora et labora” (Pray and work). His twin sister, Saint Scholastica, followed him in the monastic tradition and established a Benedictine convent of Sisters following the same Rule.
SAINT AUGUSTINE
Saint Augustine was born in Tagaste, North Africa, a Province of the Roman Empire in the year 354. His mother, Saint Monica, trained him in Christianity. His story is that of a young man who chose to turn away from goodness, falling into a life of sin. Monica prayed that her son would change his ways.
Augustine was a very clear youth with a brilliant mind, however, he preferred not to follow Christian ways. He quickly fell in with bad company and led a sinful life. After so many years of following the wrong path, the grace of God allowed the young Augustine to turn from his evil ways and to embrace Christianity and St. Monica offered prayers of thanksgiving.
Soon after Monica’s death, St. Augustine founded his first monastery and many others wanted to follow in his path. The Rule of St. Augustine is a guide for all those who follow his path. The motto established by St. Augustine for his monks was “Caritas et Scientia” (Love and Learning). St. Augustine used all of his energy and intelligence to guide others to God. He wrote: “Our hearts are made for You, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
