Instilling the love of faith and a life of virtue.

Without faith, there is no “why” and without virtue there is no “how”. SJL Academy is first and foremost a Catholic school and as such it is our duty as well as obligation to inform and educate children in Christ. An education in Christ only comes about through an understanding of who Christ is as ”Word made flesh”, “Son of God”, “The Good Shepherd” and the One we were made to emulate in our every action and thought. It is, therefore, the primary goal of the school to help students develop a personal relationship with our Lord through constant prayer, conversation, and study. This is accomplished through the everyday modeling of the teachers who imitate Christ the Teacher in character, competency, personality, and witness to the students in their daily interaction with students.

An education of the intellect and mind without forming the heart and the moral character of the student unleashes a dangerous menace on society. Such an education would result in someone who has great capabilities and capacity for wielding power but no moral compass guiding their actions. SJL Academy asserts with the ancient teacher and philosopher, Plato, that all education is a moral endeavor, seeking to inform and shape the conscience of students so they may best use their gifts and abilities. True freedom is in discipline and the proper ordering of one’s life. We seek to help students learn and practice virtue so they may be truly free to live and choose well.

Love and wonder of learning.

True education is not as much about how much students learn but rather how much they care about what they have learned; it is not as much about what students do with the information but rather what the information does to the students. Education should be challenging and transformative in the lives’ of students, putting them on a trajectory of success by allowing them to become fully alive as human beings. It should push and pull them to think, consider, and judge according to truth, wherever it is found in any of the subjects. At SJL Academy, we want to cultivate in the students a love of learning and a spirit of curiosity about the world that we hope will never cease but only grow. We want to show how all knowledge is unified and connected across all the subject areas because God is Truth and all knowledge is woven together like a beautiful web or tapestry.

Educators and families educate together in harmony.

It is the parent’s responsibility to create an environment in which virtue is prevalent, rules are given and upheld, and freedom from self is pursued. In turn it is the role of the school to aid and assist parents in their task of providing a virtuous and disciplined environment showing children tenderness when in distress, forgiveness when in error, respect as a dignified human being. It is the role of the school to aid and assist parents in creating an environment in which virtuous children can be cultivated, therefore, the school must find itself on the same principles in order to aid parents in their role as primary educators and bring about “ the preconditions of all true freedom.” We want to collaborate and partner with parents so as to be positive influences in the lives of the students reinforcing the work of parents to raise their children to the best of their abilities. This also means working to ensure that families are given every opportunity to benefit from a Catholic education and so every effort is made to provide financial support to families that desire this education for their children.

Dynamic network of families and educators.

“Everything that the Catholic educator does in a school takes place within the structure of an educational community, made up of the contacts and the collaboration among all of the various groups—students, parents, teachers, directors, non-teaching staff—that together are responsible for making the school an instrument for integral formation.” ∼ Lay Catholics in Schools: Witnesses to Faith, #22

At SJL Academy, we strive for a community that reflects the Church, that is, the Body of Christ and so builds bonds of trust and mutual support between families which in turn bring their different gifts and blessings to the benefit of all.

Recruiting and retaining the best teachers to serve and grow in a Catholic learning community.

We want to recruit and retain educators who love the Faith, love the mission of Catholic schools, love learning and are passionate about what they teach, and, ultimately, love their students and care about their destiny. We seek teachers who see their work as a ministry and a vocation. We want our teachers to be afforded opportunities for growth in their teaching craft but also in their continuing education and formation as human beings. We desire to create a community of teachers who seek to learn from one another and inspire each other in pursuit of excellence. We wish to cultivate friendship and camaraderie in an environment of mutual support among faculty with the goal of establishing a dynamic teaching community.

“There is no greater treasure in life than friendship.” ∼ St. Thomas Aquinas