In keeping with our classical mission to educate the whole child—mentally, spiritually, physically, and socially—we have developed a House system to aid in the growth of our students in all of these dimensions. A House system is a common feature of academically rigorous schools in England and America, and usually consists of smaller, organized communities among the student body, led by a faculty mentor. This structure provides a way for students to have a sense of camaraderie and support that does not devolve into cliques.
Beginning in the 5th grade, students are selected to be members of one of the three houses—The House of Hildegaard, The House of Thomas More, or The House of Boethius—named after three saints of the Western intellectual and spiritual tradition who made soaring contributions to the contemplation of man’s place in the universe and his relationship to his fellow man. Academic houses at STCS also have different mottos and charisms that distinguish that learning community.
Within the House structure, the children’s natural competitiveness will be directed towards the aid of others: fellow House brothers and sisters, the School generally, the Parish, the Church, society, and the whole of humanity. The houses compete with each other in these areas:
Field Tournament—an overnight retreat (6th-8th grade) that incorporates several physical competition events.
Academic Competition—including aggregated grade-point averages and a number of academic challenge events where students earn points for their respective house.
Service to the Community—each House chooses, plans, and executes a service project as a way to exhibit Christian charity to members of the wider community. Faculty members serving as Heads of House are ordinarily Humanities Instructors for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. Heads of House are expected to shape the identity of each house by emphasizing particular virtues among student members, building up a distinctive ethos of Christian life and charity over time. In addition, the Head of House is responsible annually for organizing two fundraising events and planning two service projects for House members. House Heads serve together in the planning of the House Field Tournament, determining events and point structures in advance, and aiding the administration in logistical planning for house competitions, to include accurate headcounts of participants, the choosing and coordinating of parent chaperones, and providing key information to the front office for confirmation of arrangements for space and transportation.
The House of Thomas More
The House of Hildegaard
The House of Boethius
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