Religion at St. John's

[Anonymous]

DD graduated out of Benhilde after freshman year but it was her choice. I know of other students who continued until junior and even senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, few private schools in the area offer a such a structured, targeted program to support students with learning differences as an integral part of the school’s mission.

I wencourage OP to discuss Benilde with parents of kids in the program. The experience after the first year - would be a good conversation starter.

Not OP but interested in Benilde—I understand that after year 1 there really isn’t much support. They expect you to graduate out of it. Is that the case?

My child was in Benilde all 4 years. Benilde does not pull you out other than the Benilde class and Benilde Spanish. Other classes are mainstream classes. The support is the same all 4 years of necessary. Yes, many students graduate out of it but not all. If in MoCo, I encourage you to look at the Ryken program at GC or the program at AHC (girls only) too. If VA, I understand DJO and BI also have support programs.

[Anonymous]

Religion is a required class each year but a different topic each year. Mass is required for certain holiday. How much one participates in the mass is up to them.

Mostly if you’re not Catholic you’re just respectful during Mass and approach Religion class as work to get done and possibly an interesting look into a culture.

[Anonymous]

Is the student body overtly religious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Religion is a required class each year but a different topic each year. Mass is required for certain holiday. How much one participates in the mass is up to them.

Mostly if you’re not Catholic you’re just respectful during Mass and approach Religion class as work to get done and possibly an interesting look into a culture.

It is a Holy Day - not a holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the student body overtly religious?

What do you mean by overtly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the student body overtly religious?

I suspect that some observing practicing Catholics might see some of them as "overtly religious".

They have ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. They might have conversations about the Catholic Church, and the Pope and the CYO. etc., etc.

The Church and the religion and their Catholic friends and families are part of their lives.

Is that "overtly religious"?

Are Jews that go to Temple and do all the things that Jewish people do "overtly religious"?

(St Johns is probably 75% Catholics)

[Anonymous]

Part of the experience that a student has at a school has to do with how they internally receive what’s going on around them.

I was non-Catholic, Christian faculty at a Catholic school. The Catholic elements of the school day mostly jibed with my beliefs and didn’t stand out in an obtrusive way. I did, however, quietly roll up and store a poster of the pope, and I kept the rosaries I received in a desk drawer. I didn’t love the way sex ed topics were taught, but that was maybe two days of the year. If I had been atheist, I think the experience would have been much harder, especially as prayer was a regular part of the day at opening bell, dismissal, and during religion class.

I wish I had better understood before taking the job that there was a Catholic community at the school that I just wasn’t part of. I didn’t see my colleagues at the local parish on weekends. I didn’t have a long history in the same neighborhoods, churches, and volunteer activities that my students and colleagues participated in. That can make for a little more work to break into existing social groups.