House & Advisory System

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Supporting the mission of the school as being rooted in faith, reason, and virtue, the purpose of House and Advisory is to create a school wide community that cohesively examines and practices the following question: what does it look like to authentically live your daily life rooted in faith, reason, and virtue? If the school’s mission is to create Catholic hearts and minds, House and Advisory’s mission is to exercise and strengthen those Catholic hearts and minds for the good of the school and the world at large.

Purposeful Houses and Advisories fortify the culture of the school through:

Providing opportunities for students to apply the truths taught in the classroom throughout their daily life, whether in conversation, service, leisure, or competitions

Forming relationships that challenge students to hold one another accountable in the pursuit of a virtuous life

Creating communities that are disposed and committed to the good for one another, themselves, and the larger community, thus serving the greater good of the school by enacting a common mission and standard of conduct

Role of a House Leader

The success of a House/Advisory lies in the House/Advisory leader challenging themselves to:

Model a positive attitude, a disposition of a lifelong learner, and a willingness to participate in conversations and activities with the community as a whole;
Structure their time in House/Advisory by upholding the expectations of attendance and by ensuring that the time spent is valuable and purposeful;
Involve the students in conversations and activities.

Priorities of Time

Throughout the year, time in House should aim to address the following student needs:

Belonging/Significance: time in House should help the students feel at home and build trust with fellow students and their House leader. This sense of belonging should then develop a confidence in their role with House through the opportunities to use or develop skills and characteristics.
Leisure: whether through competitions, food, or other activities, students should have the opportunity to build rapport with one another and their House Leaders, learning the value of leisure.
Formation: with the wholistic combination of speakers, discussion, service, and activities, students should build a foundation for their character and their pursuit of holiness.

Fundamental House Practices

These practical expectations will ensure that our time in House maintains legitimacy and purpose.

Greeting: at the beginning of each House, be present as the students enter the room, greeting them by name and engaging in conversation. The practical measures of using eye contact, shaking hands, greeting them by name, etc., can immediately create a sense of belonging.
Attendance: follow the rules of attendance as you would with your classes. With the exception of convocation or speakers, take House attendance every day and follow the disciplinary rules for tardies. This sets the standard that House is a legitimate part of the school day.
Prayer: incorporate prayer into each meeting. House should be an opportunity for students to develop their understanding of prayer, a pause and a reminder of Christ’s presence in all that we do. This is an additional opportunity for leaders and students to be witnesses to their personal relationship with Christ. The goal is to ensure that there is variety, to avoid memorized prayers, and to ensure that it remains personal and applicable to the time in House. For example, begin House with simple invocations, “Lord God, we thank you for the gifts of this day, guide and bless our conversations,” or perhaps end House with an invocation in reflection of what was discussed.
Seating Arrangement: the students will be arranged by grade in the gym and in the auditorium. Each teacher is assigned to sit with a grade to ensure that students respect the space, each other, and the speaker. In House discussions, try to create a seminar setting, avoid having the students sitting in rows or scattered throughout the space.

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