Our Catholic Culture in Christ

Roots and Wings

A Publication of the Catholic Life Committee

2007-08 The Beatitudes: September-07, October-07, November-07,

December-07, January-08, February-08, March-08, April-07, May-08

2006-07 The Commandments: September-06, October-06, November-06, December-06, January-07, February-07, March-07, April-07, May-07

2005-06 The Virtues:  September-05, October-05, November-05, December-05, January-06, February-06, March-06, April-06, May-06

The School Life Committee, which consists of IJP school board members, parents, faculty and administration representatives, and religious education leaders, was established in 2001 to address the alarming issue of bullying.  Discussions among committee members  led to the conclusion that the culture of a school creates an atmosphere that can subtly either encourage or hinder acts of bullying and intimidation. The committee members decided to build on the teachings of the Catholic Church to help students establish an identity, and through this Catholic identity, create a culture of inclusion. This building on the teachings of the Catholic Church led to the creation of Infant Jesus of Prague School’s Catholic Culture in Christ Program.

Each year the School Life Committee selects a theme that directs their school based activities for their Catholic Culture in Christ Program. Past themes have included Virtues, The Beatitudes, and The Ten Commandments. This year’s theme is The Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The yearly theme is broken down into monthly sub-topics for which there are a variety of methods of sharing the information. Activities include preparing teacher packets full of cross-curricular activities and reading for all levels of classes in both the day school as well as the Religious Education classes. Other activities include publicizing the monthly theme through bulletin boards and art projects, daily recitation of a prayer that reflects the month’s theme, service projects, and the monthly publication of the School Life Committee’s newsletter Roots and Wings. The title Roots and Wings was inspired by Hodding Carter II who said, “There are two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings.” (IJP’s Roots and Wings are archived online)

The most ambitious aspects of the program are the service projects and the newsletter. The service projects, which help students define their identities by doing concrete activities, are student centered with the goal to help children see themselves as living examples of the faith lessons they have learned. Some student project include donating and wrapping Christmas presents the for the less fortunate families in other parishes. Students have also collected used school supplies and books to benefit children in need.

The monthly newsletter provides a voice for the program. Although faculty and parishioners read it as well, the  target audience is the parents. Included are articles and lists of age-appropriate books and movies that illustrate this month’s theme, as well as regular features such as reviews of books and web sites that address parenting issues in general. The theory is that the formulation of self begins at home and is sustained at school. Therefore, for a school to be successful in establishing a Catholic identity in its students, it must involve the parents.

The benefits of the Catholic Culture in Christ Program are many. All participants, from those at school to those at home to those in the parish community, gain a deeper knowledge of that which makes us Christians generally and Catholics specifically. They are offered opportunities to relate their faith to books, movies, and web sites so that they can become more discerning and discriminating Catholics in a secular society. And perhaps most importantly, they become better equipped to define the behaviors that are demanded of those who adhere to a higher standard. Infant Jesus of Prague School, through the work of the School Life Committee, is offering their students, parents, and parishioners, an opportunity to define who they are so that they can live lives of purpose.

 Infant Jesus of Prague School is giving their children “Roots and Wings.”

Thank you to:

Mrs. Cheryl Tolish