In 1877, Father Alex J. Archambault began teaching children at Boise City’s first Catholic school, St. Joseph’s.
Not long after, the Holy Cross Sisters arrived in Boise City to open a teaching academy adjacent to their hospital. St. Teresa’s Academy opened in 1889. It was the first high school in Boise, operating as a boarding school for young women.
Today, St. Joseph’s has been joined by four additional Catholic elementary schools, serving students in pre-K through eighth grade: Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s, St. Mark’s and St. Paul’s in Nampa. St. Teresa’s in 1964 became Bishop Kelly High School. Our Catholic schools community shares 135 years of rich history. Thousands of Treasure Valley families have helped to create the tradition of excellence that we enjoy today.
As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week nationwide, it is important to understand what the Catholic schools in our community provide. The theme — “Faith. Academics. Service.” — celebrates the fact that Catholic schools are significant contributors to our American society with high academic standards and expectations, high graduation rates and high percentage of students going on to and completing college, all supported by strong moral values and a commitment to social justice.
Treasure Valley Catholic schools enroll more than 1,850 students in preschool through 12th grade. These students are representative of the Treasure Valley’s increasingly diverse population. More than 25 percent of Catholic school families receive some form of need-based tuition assistance and more than 20 percent are from other faith traditions. What is unique, however, is our mission and what our students are accomplishing and are prepared for.
Our mission in our Catholic schools is to “educate and develop the whole student in the Catholic tradition — spirit, mind and body.” In the spirit, we focus on developing a relationship with Jesus Christ, which manifestsitself through service and a personal commitment to social justice; a knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church, as well as the compassion and dedication to live out those teachings; an ability to evaluate moral choices and issues based on a well-formed conscience; an awareness of world religions and an appropriate respect for the beliefs of others; a deep sense of spirituality and a desire for spiritual growth, prayer, and personal reflection; and, an ability to form strong, respectful and meaningful relationships based on Christian values.
In the mind part of our mission, through small class sizes and personalized attention, excellent teachers, high expectations and blended learning, we focus on developing a capacity for creativity, critical thinking, questioning, and reflective problem solving; an ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information from different sources; an exceptional academic foundation in a broad range of subjects; an ability to effectively communicate in both written and oral forms; a firm grasp of technology and its role in maximizing learning; and an appreciation for the power of positive self-expression through the arts and literature.
Finally, in the body portion of our mission, we help develop a recognition that one’s body is a gift from God; an acceptance of the responsibility to treat one’s own body with modesty and respect; an ability to establish physical, social and emotional boundaries and respect for the boundaries of others; a lifetime commitment to healthful nutrition and physical activity; a dedication to physical balance, harmony and self-control; and, an acknowledgement of discipline, perseverance and courage as keys to success.
The results of this preparation and focus are over 98 percent of our high school graduates going on to college; over 80 percent of our 156 graduates last year received merit-based scholarships that totaled over $14 million; average ISAT/ACT/Plan and Xplor test scores in the top 10 percent of the country and state; tens of thousands of service hours and projects in our community; over 70 percent of our students involved in activities; numerous state and national championships in athletics, engineering design, Science Olympiad, economics and debate. Most importantly, we believe Catholic schools are preparing these students to be the leaders in our communities, businesses and professions. Catholic schools really are the choice you can believe in.
Rich Raimondi is president of Bishop Kelly High School.
