Mission and Philosophy

Over sixty years ago, the pastor of St. Benedict Church founded St. Benedict School to provide a high quality Catholic education to the children of the parish. Although the scope of the student population now extends beyond parishioners, the purpose of St. Benedict School remains the same--to provide students with a Catholic education that will serve as  “A Foundation for Life.” This foundation is designed to equip the students with the values, skills, and breadth of knowledge that they will need to bring the gifts that God has given them to fruition.

The mission of St. Benedict School is summarized in this statement: 

Guided by the Gospel, inspired by the Beatitudes, and strengthened by the Eucharist, the Catholic school community of St. Benedict worships God joyfully, respects life reverently, helps others generously, shares gifts and talents gratefully, and engaged interactively in an academic program that prepares our students for life-long learning. 

Guided by the School Motto and the Mission Statement, Saint Benedict focuses on four qualities of character: Dignity, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility.  In an age-appropriate way, these expectations are threaded and modeled throughout daily interactions with the children.  These qualities provide a foundation for an ethical, Christ based and meaningful life, and the school expects students to embody them in every aspect of community, including areas beyond the school school itself, such as the bus and off site activities like field trips and athletics.

Dignity
Every human person possesses dignity.  Dignity means that everyone should be valued, honored, and treated ethically.  In a school, dignity means that every student has a right to an education.

We should be physically, emotionally, and socially safe.
We are all members of the school community, regardless of our roles, backgrounds, or statuses, both in and out of school.
We treat each other with kindness.
We support one another when we require help and when we make mistakes.

Integrity
Members of the Saint Benedict community should act with integrity. Integrity means that words are consistent with actions, actions are consistent with words, and behaviors are consistent whether in public, in private, or online.

We do the right thing for the right reason.
We do what we say we are going to do.
We tell the truth, even when telling the truth is difficult to do.
We accept the outcomes of our actions.

Respect
At Saint Benedict, respect guides the daily interactions between people and their community.   It includes treating ourselves and others with courtesy and fairness, following the guidelines of the school, and caring for each other and the school environment.  

Responsibility
Responsibility involves the intent and the effort to care for ourselves, to fulfill our duties as members of the community, and to accept credit or blame for our actions.