Catholic school when you are not super Catholic

[Anonymous]

I have to say I don't get the agita about this. I went to ADW schools in the 70s and 80s and apparently this was some kind of Hippie Catholic Renaissance because I went to school with Jewish and Protestant kids and it was never a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

BS utter BS

Catholic schools rarely kick kids out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

BS utter BS

Catholic schools rarely kick kids out.

Probably less often than in the past, but they absolutely counsel out for behavioral issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m Catholic and we send out kids to an Episcopal school now (we were waitlisted at our first choice Catholic K-8); however one kid is going to Catholic high school in the Fall and the younger sibling will also.

I am offended when people go to Catholic school to escape public and treat the religious part of going to a Catholic school as an inconvenient by product. It is actually “the thing” and not a byproduct. Your dismissiveness of Catholic teachings and traditions in pursuit of any alternative to public is insulting.

Do you think the Episcopalians are offended you used their school as a convenient fall-back?

The religions are very close to identical, so PP is not dismissive of the religious aspects of the school.

They are in no wise “very close to identical.” Many Episcopalians belong to the same “church” but have widely varying and conflicting beliefs.

Same could be said of Catholics. Wide range of views on the positions of the Church with regard to hotbutton issues like birth control, LGBT, and so on.

The difference is that with the Episcopals it’s a feature, not a bug. See Elizabethan Settlement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

BS utter BS

Catholic schools rarely kick kids out.

They establish an environment of mutual respect and self-discipline. So it’s uncommon because it isn’t necessary very often. But rare? I know two kids who were expelled from my kids’ school last year. Is that rare?

You really are pretty ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m Catholic and we send out kids to an Episcopal school now (we were waitlisted at our first choice Catholic K-8); however one kid is going to Catholic high school in the Fall and the younger sibling will also.

I am offended when people go to Catholic school to escape public and treat the religious part of going to a Catholic school as an inconvenient by product. It is actually “the thing” and not a byproduct. Your dismissiveness of Catholic teachings and traditions in pursuit of any alternative to public is insulting.

Do you think the Episcopalians are offended you used their school as a convenient fall-back?

The religions are very close to identical, so PP is not dismissive of the religious aspects of the school.

High Anglican is similar, but with KEY differences. They can have gays, women, abortions, no confessions required, etc. I mean, kinda big stuff. BUT if you like a Christian church with lots and lots of really involved and elaborate ceremonies, symbolism, regalia and affectation and you're not into the Orthodox stuff, High Anglican would feel very familiar. But there are quite a few American Episcopal parishes where you would not recognize the service -- there could be a Lutheran pastor talking about what he learned from his Imam and all gender neutral hymns, etc.

I mean 80 percent of most Christian faiths are the same, bible, Jesus, blah blah... but the big difference is that in the Catholic church is top-down and the rest are bottom-up. Most of the big Protestant sects in the US elect leadership in some way or another or have some legislative mechanism for affecting church policy. In the Catholic church it all comes from the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

BS utter BS

Catholic schools rarely kick kids out.

Some schools do, others do not. All of the generalizations above are incorrect.

[Anonymous]

DC are at two private Catholic HSs and students are expelled every year. I still don’t think it is like the discipline of the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Catholic schools also have disciplinary problems so don't kid yourself. They used to be able to discipline but, no longer. I don't have a solution but, if not really Catholic i wouldn't waste the money.

Yes, but they can also kick kids out. That itself is a very powerful tool. At my son's school, behavior issues were resolved very quickly because the consequences were significant and the school would actually follow through.

BS utter BS

Catholic schools rarely kick kids out.

Probably less often than in the past, but they absolutely counsel out for behavioral issues.

My kids HS kicked kids out for social media posts. So yeah they do kick kids oit.

[Anonymous]

They definitely kick kids out for extreme behavior but in my DS's school, the larger classes and general numbers mean that a lot goes unnoticed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They definitely kick kids out for extreme behavior but in my DS's school, the larger classes and general numbers mean that a lot goes unnoticed.

if you bring a weapon to school or use the N word, you can be kicked out of a lot of privates.

[Anonymous]

OP, it might be most helpful if you explain what specifically you are actually worried about. Saying "that experience" is super vague.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Does anyone have experience with Catholic school when you are not a devout Catholic? DH and I were both raised Catholic and had all the sacraments but are not active in our church. We are toying with the idea of sending our kids to the local parochial school because they have had an iffy experience with behavior issues and big classes in our FCPS elementary. But I am wondering what that experience will be like for them and for our family. My gut tells me that I would not love that experience for them. We don't have the money for some of the other privates around us.

Listen to your gut. Stay out of our Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it might be most helpful if you explain what specifically you are actually worried about. Saying "that experience" is super vague.

I would like to know this, as well.

- “not super Catholic” parent of kids in two different Catholic schools and very, very happy with our choices