St Marys versus St Louis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to Mass 1x per month in my K8 Catholic school in PA. Weekly Mass is an Arlington Diocese trait.
FWIW I don’t think it detracted from the academics.

My Catholic school did weekly mass and my son's ADW school does the same. The day depends - some years it's Friday, others it's Monday, etc. There's also additional school mass held for days of obligation. I have yet to see it detract from academics. My son's day is also 45 minutes longer than the public school requires, so there's plenty of time for mass, art, music, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If mass is so important, why not have it AFTER school hours on Fridays?

Oh, but we can’t do that! — that technically would be extra work hours for the teachers! So we must sacrifice 2 hours of classroom every week to go to mass, so that additional work hours aren’t needed.

Btw, I bet all those people who argue that “an hour of mass every week doesn’t affect academics” are the same people spending $75/week for an hour of tutoring. Lol.

My kid spends more time in PE every week than he does in mass. It's fine. If one hour is going to make or break your kid's education, you need to get them evaluated.

[Anonymous]

It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

+1. Plenty of other privates that don’t do sacrament prep if it’s such an issue for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

+1. Plenty of other privates that don’t do sacrament prep if it’s such an issue for you.

Who’s objecting to sacrament preparation? I think the PP was pointing out how everything in the aggregate begins to swamp academics.

Are parties, assemblies, parades, and SEL also fundamental to Catholic school? Are academics fundamental too?

What they should do is just have students attend separate CCD classes. And, like, make SCHOOL about academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

+1. Plenty of other privates that don’t do sacrament prep if it’s such an issue for you.

Who’s objecting to sacrament preparation? I think the PP was pointing out how everything in the aggregate begins to swamp academics.

Are parties, assemblies, parades, and SEL also fundamental to Catholic school? Are academics fundamental too?

What they should do is just have students attend separate CCD classes. And, like, make SCHOOL about academics.

The whole point of a Catholic school is a catholic education which includes the things that kids who go to non-catholic schools have to attend CCD for in addition to academics. Catholic school is not there just to be a cheaper version of private school. If you are bothered by mass, sacrament prep, religion class, etc happening during the school day, it’s not for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

+1. Plenty of other privates that don’t do sacrament prep if it’s such an issue for you.

Who’s objecting to sacrament preparation? I think the PP was pointing out how everything in the aggregate begins to swamp academics.

Are parties, assemblies, parades, and SEL also fundamental to Catholic school? Are academics fundamental too?

What they should do is just have students attend separate CCD classes. And, like, make SCHOOL about academics.

Parties, assemblies, parades, and SEL happen in non-Catholic schools also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to Mass 1x per month in my K8 Catholic school in PA. Weekly Mass is an Arlington Diocese trait.
FWIW I don’t think it detracted from the academics.

My kids have gone to parochial schools in 3 other states and they all had weekly mass, it's not exclusive to the DoA.

We went every day at my Catholic School in Cincy, OH, plus Sunday, of course. We survived and are successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just mass. It’s the numerous other non-academic “stuff” that consumes the day/week — assemblies, parades, parties, movies, recess, field days, confession, first communion practice, etc etc etc. Not to mention the numerous “half days” and BS snow days (when it’s not even snowing, just to “follow” ACPS). Oh, and throw in “social emotional learning” (or whatever they call it now), which is worthless.

And it gets worse every year. Pretty soon, math, reading, and writing will be a small blip in the schedule.

If you like all that, fine. Just don’t wonder why test scores are down.

Why do you have kids in Catholic school if you object to things like sacrament preparation?

+1. Plenty of other privates that don’t do sacrament prep if it’s such an issue for you.

Who’s objecting to sacrament preparation? I think the PP was pointing out how everything in the aggregate begins to swamp academics.

Are parties, assemblies, parades, and SEL also fundamental to Catholic school? Are academics fundamental too?

What they should do is just have students attend separate CCD classes. And, like, make SCHOOL about academics.

If I wanted my kids to attend CCD and avoid Catholicism I’d have sent them to public school. The education they get about their religion is why they are there.

[Anonymous]

This whole conversation is silly. You can have religious education by *integrating* religion into math, reading, science, social studies, etc. Kill two birds with one stone. For example, use religious texts to teach reading. Use religious examples to teach math. Teach the wonder of God’s creation through science. And so on.

The notion that Catholic education “requires” weekly mass or repetitive sacrament prep *during the school day* is absurd, lazy, and old-fashioned.

How many kids — especially younger kids — get anything out of mass during the school day? If you want a true “Catholic education,” there are better ways to do it. Does Notre Dame or other Catholic colleges require weekly Mass during classes? Why not? Are they providing an inferior “Catholic education”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole conversation is silly. You can have religious education by *integrating* religion into math, reading, science, social studies, etc. Kill two birds with one stone. For example, use religious texts to teach reading. Use religious examples to teach math. Teach the wonder of God’s creation through science. And so on.

The notion that Catholic education “requires” weekly mass or repetitive sacrament prep *during the school day* is absurd, lazy, and old-fashioned.

How many kids — especially younger kids — get anything out of mass during the school day? If you want a true “Catholic education,” there are better ways to do it. Does Notre Dame or other Catholic colleges require weekly Mass during classes? Why not? Are they providing an inferior “Catholic education”?

If you call the celebration of Mass (at anytime of the week) “absurd, lazy, and old fashioned” you truly do not understand what the significance of Mass is in Catholicism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole conversation is silly. You can have religious education by *integrating* religion into math, reading, science, social studies, etc. Kill two birds with one stone. For example, use religious texts to teach reading. Use religious examples to teach math. Teach the wonder of God’s creation through science. And so on.

The notion that Catholic education “requires” weekly mass or repetitive sacrament prep *during the school day* is absurd, lazy, and old-fashioned.

How many kids — especially younger kids — get anything out of mass during the school day? If you want a true “Catholic education,” there are better ways to do it. Does Notre Dame or other Catholic colleges require weekly Mass during classes? Why not? Are they providing an inferior “Catholic education”?

If you call the celebration of Mass (at anytime of the week) “absurd, lazy, and old fashioned” you truly do not understand what the significance of Mass is in Catholicism.

I guess colleges like Notre Dame and most Catholic high schools are just heretics then. None requires students to attend mass on a weekday, every week, during school hours. Mass is for SUNDAYS, with family. Not at 9 am on weekdays during school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole conversation is silly. You can have religious education by *integrating* religion into math, reading, science, social studies, etc. Kill two birds with one stone. For example, use religious texts to teach reading. Use religious examples to teach math. Teach the wonder of God’s creation through science. And so on.

The notion that Catholic education “requires” weekly mass or repetitive sacrament prep *during the school day* is absurd, lazy, and old-fashioned.

How many kids — especially younger kids — get anything out of mass during the school day? If you want a true “Catholic education,” there are better ways to do it. Does Notre Dame or other Catholic colleges require weekly Mass during classes? Why not? Are they providing an inferior “Catholic education”?

If you call the celebration of Mass (at anytime of the week) “absurd, lazy, and old fashioned” you truly do not understand what the significance of Mass is in Catholicism.

I guess colleges like Notre Dame and most Catholic high schools are just heretics then. None requires students to attend mass on a weekday, every week, during school hours. Mass is for SUNDAYS, with family. Not at 9 am on weekdays during school.

So don’t send your kids to a parochial school? I don’t really understand your point here. You have a choice, send your kids to public school and use CCD for their religious education. Weekly mass at K-8 schools is part of the faith formation. I’m glad my kids have had the experience of attending weekly with their classmates. If you don’t see the value, that’s fine. There are many other schools to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole conversation is silly. You can have religious education by *integrating* religion into math, reading, science, social studies, etc. Kill two birds with one stone. For example, use religious texts to teach reading. Use religious examples to teach math. Teach the wonder of God’s creation through science. And so on.

The notion that Catholic education “requires” weekly mass or repetitive sacrament prep *during the school day* is absurd, lazy, and old-fashioned.

How many kids — especially younger kids — get anything out of mass during the school day? If you want a true “Catholic education,” there are better ways to do it. Does Notre Dame or other Catholic colleges require weekly Mass during classes? Why not? Are they providing an inferior “Catholic education”?

If you call the celebration of Mass (at anytime of the week) “absurd, lazy, and old fashioned” you truly do not understand what the significance of Mass is in Catholicism.

I guess colleges like Notre Dame and most Catholic high schools are just heretics then. None requires students to attend mass on a weekday, every week, during school hours. Mass is for SUNDAYS, with family. Not at 9 am on weekdays during school.

So don’t send your kids to a parochial school? I don’t really understand your point here. You have a choice, send your kids to public school and use CCD for their religious education. Weekly mass at K-8 schools is part of the faith formation. I’m glad my kids have had the experience of attending weekly with their classmates. If you don’t see the value, that’s fine. There are many other schools to choose from.

Believe it or not, mass is not the be-all, end-all of Catholic education or being a Catholic. So advocating for a relatively minor change — ie, focusing like a laser on academics, integrating religion into academics, and using school hours for school — doesn’t mean that I need to go elsewhere. Perhaps you should elsewhere (monastery?) if your top
priority isn’t academics.

It you want to use school hours for Mass, then why not lengthen the school year? You can’t have it both ways — duplicate public schools’ calendar and number of school days and weather policy, etc, but then say, “oh, we have other priorities besides academics.” If Mass and other non-academic stuff truly is so important, then add days to the calendar.