The unique Catholic school support model employed by the Notre Dame ACE Academies university-school partnership emphasizes continuous improvement in the multiple dimensions of schooling, including Catholic identity, advancement, and teaching and learning.
Through the emphasis on Catholic identity, the Notre Dame ACE Academies partnerships cover areas like school culture and personal formation.
School Culture
A strong, positive, authentic Catholic school culture forms in children not only knowledge, but also a worldview that defines their understanding of their purpose in life: that they were made by a God who loves and knows them, and that they are all called to serve others. Notre Dame ACE Academies distinctive approach to articulating and nurturing school culture flows from the deeply Catholic belief that our actions and our choices define us more than circumstances do.
School leaders, teachers, and Notre Dame ACE Academies team members collaborate to articulate the schools' beliefs and values, so that every member of the school community understands and communicates the same, consistent messages to the children we form. Through reinforcement from teachers, daily routines and practices, rituals, and even classroom rules and decorations, core values and root beliefs are clearly, consistently, and effectively communicated to each child in our care.
While the culture of each individual Notre Dame ACE Academy is unique, there are certain features that are common to each of our partner schools, and each partner school participates in an ongoing process of culture-building.
Root Beliefs
"God in all things" is the central root belief shared across our schools. This belief defines the way we view the world and allows us to speak the same language about life, about God, about our relationships and our purpose.
In the Notre Dame ACE Academies the most important root beliefs are explicitly and consistently articulated. Notre Dame ACE Academies leaders and teachers establish a set of root beliefs, unique to each school, and they work hard to ensure that those beliefs guide daily school operations. The examples below are from the Notre Dame ACE Academies schools and team.
All of us will learn.
Whatever it takes is what it takes.
The small things matter.
Jesus is the center of our lives.
Core values
Our values consist of the actions we perform habitually that make our beliefs known to others. In the Notre Dame ACE Academies, values are stated as verbs so that students and teachers alike conceive of them as concrete activities that are done on a daily basis, rather than abstract ideals.
Seek - Children are immersed in a culture of continuous improvement that instills a life-long love of learning.
Persist - Effort trumps ability. Students learn to overcome challenges to achieve their dreams and every teacher is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that each child succeeds.
Excel - The Notre Dame ACE Academies set forth two goals for each child: College & Heaven. Students receive a rigorous, college-preparatory education as they develop a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
Love - Each Notre Dame ACE Academy is a family, providing a safe, loving environment where each child learns to thrive in community with others.
Serve - To whom much is given, much is expected. Notre Dame ACE Academy students are prepared for lives of service to others, the community, and the Church.
Personal Formation
Notre Dame ACE Academies provide numerous opportunities for spiritual and faith formation to students, members of the school faculty and staff, and school administrators throughout the school year.
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Students: Throughout the year students are invited to grow in their personal relationship with God, serve others, learn about the Catholic faith, receive the sacraments and worship together. They participate in weekly Masses, prayer services, sacramental preparation, Advent, Lent and other celebrations of the Church Year. Students put their faith in action through Campus Ministry where they collaborate with teachers and priests to lead and participate in community outreach, service projects and retreats that unite and strengthen their class communities and provide creative opportunities to explore their spiritual relationship with God.
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Faculty/Staff: Notre Dame ACE Academies leads a daylong spring retreat for each regional cluster of academies. Teachers and staff members come together to reflect on their own faith journey and are renewed in their shared mission. These retreats help foster the larger Notre Dame ACE Academies community, connecting participants through prayer and reflection to the larger network and ministry.
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Administrators: Notre Dame ACE Academies Principals gather each fall for a retreat offering both rest and renewal, while centering on faith, fellowship and their communion in their shared ministry of Catholic school leadership. The principals also participate in monthly professional learning community calls that stimulate honest and open conversations that involve authentic sharing of successes and challenges being experienced in their respective communities.
