CLT is proud to feature JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California as our latest Partner School Spotlight. We had the opportunity to sit down with School President Rich Meyer and VP of Mission & Faith Patrick Reidy, to ask them some questions about what makes their school so successful.
What makes your school unique?
JSerra Catholic High School is dedicated to forming the faith, intellect, and character of every student within a Christ-centered, sacrament-based environment. From daily Mass to student retreats, prayer and worship are woven into each day, supported by our chaplain, Fr. Claude Lombardo from the Diocese of Orange. Dominican Sisters serve on campus as teachers and mentors, and Norbertine priests assist with the sacraments.
Our mission statement leaves no doubt as to the source and essence of our school – Jesus Christ. We believe our weekly celebration of all-school Mass and opportunities for regular confession and adoration afford our entire school community untold graces. Precisely because of our catholic (i.e. universal) nature, we welcome students and families of all religious backgrounds who are seeking to deepen their faith.
With an intentionally sized student body, every student is known by name and is never lost in the crowd. Teachers build genuine relationships with their students, and provide hands-on, real-world experiences alongside a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. At JSerra, graduates leave academically prepared, personally and spiritually formed, and ready for a life of purpose.
Rather than use the term “children,” we consciously refer to our students as young men and women as this better reflects our vision of them as “adults-in-the-making.” This demonstration of respect for our students is an important aspect of our effort to form them to be responsible Christian citizens.
How does JSerra balance the pursuit of personal and professional excellence in education?
JSerra offers two unique, optional academic tracks for our students. These act as good examples of how we provide students with a well-rounded educational experience.
Our Humanities Program offers an optional two-period course that presents an integrated English and Theology curriculum in the tradition of the Classical Liberal Arts. Drawing on the great thinkers, writers, philosophers, and artists of Western Civilization, the course forms students’ minds through an education of the heart. Focusing on readings in English and Theology from the Western canon and Christian culture, the program seeks to uncover the common thread that weaves all great ideas together: Christ revealed through the good, the true, and the beautiful.
For students who have specific professional aspirations, we offer four highly acclaimed professional Magnet in Business, Engineering, Law, and Medicine. These programs set the bar for what diverse, immersive elective opportunities can look like for high school students.
What traditions does your school incorporate throughout the year to encourage school culture and community?
At JSerra, our sense of family allows students and their parents to build strong and lasting bonds with their fellow classmates and families, teachers, administrators, and the greater community. It’s what makes JSerra truly unique and gives our students a sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself.
We offer a wide range of clubs and activities, and our programs are innovative, supportive, and meet the needs of every student’s mind, body, and soul. Beyond our clubs, our campus is always busy with school-sponsored activities. We have several school dances each year, incredible musical productions, multiple pep rallies, and lunchtime activities. JSerra is not only an academically rigorous and Christ-centered community but it’s also a fun community that honors year-round traditions. Whether retreats, athletics, clubs, activities or student government, each student can find his or her purpose and passion by participating in life at JSerra.
We also offer parents and guardians a number of year-round educational events including Coffee with Courtney, the JSerra Speaker Series, and mini-retreats — not to mention social events hosted by the JSerra Parent Association (JSPA) such as private cooking classes, the annual JSPA Christmas Luncheon and Boutique, wine nights, and more.
What has your school’s experience been like with CLT? How does CLT fit in with your mission? What effects have you seen on your students and staff?
While we are still in the early stages of our CLT journey, we are encouraged by the foundation it is building and look forward to seeing its full impact unfold in the years ahead.
If you’ve ever been in the classroom and taught, there’s the whole idea of “backwards by design.” You start with what you are assessing at the end, and you work your way backwards by mapping out how your curriculum’s going to be built and leading your students to the end product that you’re trying to have them ultimately produce on a standardized test or other assessment mechanisms.
We’ve had to really struggle to provide opportunities for our students and at the same time provide caveats and dimensions of instruction so that students can be successful on these tests. Other tests sometimes don’t align with a Christian worldview, but our students would be at a grave detriment if they weren’t exposed to those things. That’s really what ultimately hooked me at first about the CLT. It got me to think, “Wow. Imagine a world where the widely accepted testing mechanism by which colleges would evaluate high school students coming through was one that was ultimately aligned to truth.” It’s just good learning. That’s what excited me about CLT.