Newark St. Francis de Sales School began a new academic year on Wednesday, Aug. 18 with a new approach to educating students that incorporates an old method.

The school, located at 38 Granville St., has adopted a classical curriculum format that will be phased in during the next three years.

Classical education is defined as developing the whole child with a Catholic worldview that emphasizes the relationship between God and truth, beauty and goodness in His creation. Students are challenged to think critically and creatively while studying traditional subjects imbued with the faith.

The implementation of the classical curriculum at St. Francis de Sales starts this year with the subjects of history and literature. Math and science will follow in 2022-23, and other subjects in 2023-24, including the possibility of adding Latin.

“We wanted a robust Catholic identity in our schools,” principal Sally Mummey said. “We also want these children not only to know and love Christ while they’re here pre-K through eight, but to hold that in their heart for higher education, when they are married, when they have children, when they’re taking care of their parents, and to become saints when they go to heaven. So we are dedicated to that.”

Classical education has experienced a resurgence in popularity during the past few decades. Independent Catholic schools, homeschoolers and some traditional schools have taken this approach to forming young Catholic disciples who carry their knowledge and love they develop for their faith into adulthood.

That’s the primary reason why Father David Sizemore, the pastor at St. Francis de Sales Church, supports the transition to classical education at the school.

When Father Sizemore came to St. Francis de Sales four years ago from Sunbury St. John Neumann Church, he brought with him a plan to strengthen the parish and school through enkindling the fire of faith at every age level.

“It started in the parish with realizing that the old model of running a parish in modern times is just not working,” he said. “And so we spent the last four years implementing a missionary discipleship culture. Our mission is part of the Great Commission: To go out and make disciples of all nations, and to teach them what I taught you.”

Father Sizemore sees classical education as part of that vision to form disciples of Christ from infancy to adulthood. About a year ago, Father Sizemore, Mummey, assistant principal Ed Watson and the diocesan schools office began discussing with teachers, parents and staff the possibility of transitioning to a classical curriculum.

“One of the most important missions of a parish is to run a school, and so we knew that we needed to bring our school on board to the mission of making missionary disciples,” Father Sizemore said. “We knew that an important part of that would be the curriculum.

“A classical education curriculum has been around for hundreds of years. It’s the way our Church used to run Catholic schools, but now it’s reset for modern times.

“The kids learn science and math, technology and music, all that, but every subject that they study is infused with the Catholic faith rather than just religion class. It’s really about setting them up for success and faithfulness in high school, college and beyond. And so we’re taking what is ever ancient and making it ever new.”

Because the transmitters of the faith play a key role in this new venture, Father Sizemore emphasized the need for spiritual growth among teachers, administrators and parents.

“We are inviting our teachers to Mass every Sunday, to Eucharistic Adoration, to be in the discipleship group together, and to be in spiritual direction,” he said. “We’re inviting them into a deeper relationship with Christ and to be on fire with the faith. We have a saying, ‘that the faith is not just taught, it’s caught.’ We want our kids to catch the faith of our teachers.”

Students will be provided additional opportunities to participate in the sacraments this academic year. An all-school Mass will be celebrated every Thursday. On alternating Fridays, upper and lower grades will go to Mass. In addition, the school and parish are partnering with Damascus Catholic Mission Campus to help foster faith formation in the school and the youth ministry program.

Likewise, parents are encouraged to attend Mass, participate in discipleship and faith formation groups, contribute to the offertory and volunteer in the school. The objective is for them to grow their faith along with their children.

“The millennials are the ones who are sending kids to school right now, and the majority of them aren’t coming back to the faith after they get married and have kids,” Father Sizemore said. “Whereas in previous generations, they would stray for a while in college and post-college, but then when they married and had kids they started coming back to practicing. That’s not happening anymore.

“Teachers recognize this, and as a parish and school we recognize this. So teachers are supportive of helping kids grow in faith. The hope is that the millennials will start coming back to the practice of their faith and then help their kids grow in faith and maintain that faith as adults.”

For experienced teachers accustomed to methods they’ve used for years, a pivot to a new curriculum raised questions and required adjustments. How to integrate Christ into a field trip to the zoo is one example of a shift in instructional mindset with a classical approach.

Guest speakers, professional development and a staff retreat have helped with the transition.
Lisa Elwell, who retired as a teacher last year, and three other teachers from the school attended a classical education conference this summer in Nashville, Tennessee. Elwell will work with current teachers eight to 10 hours a week this academic year to help with lesson planning and to answer curriculum questions.

“The teachers know the theory behind it but want to know the technical part, too,” Mummey said. “Before the last school year ended, we were purchasing many books that are great pieces of literature – classics that show reflect time and history and Christ’s influence. Those books went home with our teachers over the summer so that they could start planning.

“We’ve looked at how to question students about truth and beauty, how to extend their thinking, how to help them own their faith and to be bold and brave and debate. And then, of course, there’s a critical thinking piece in that, too.”

To prepare parents for the transition, meetings and communication began during the past school year to answer questions and to enlist their support. Mummey is happy to report that the classical approach seems to be resonating in the community.

Enrollment is increasing at the school, which has 35 new students this year to boost the total number to 270.

“They’re coming for a variety of reasons,” Mummey said. “We see signs that here at St. Francis that we’re getting more people here at St. Francis because Christ is part of us, and that’s intriguing for a lot of families right now.

“Some are very interested in classical education, some don’t know that we’re doing it, but when I bring it up in an interview with our families or new families that are considering us, they shake their head and they’re like, ‘That’s what we’re looking for.’ Our new families are supportive, as are our families that have been here for a long time. They just see that it is good.”

Some of the newcomers include non-Catholics or those from other faith traditions. Approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of the students are not Catholic. Nearly all of the eighth-grade graduates move on to Newark Catholic for high school.

“Parents do want their children to remain Catholic and be faith filled,” Mummey said, “and they know what’s happening. Catholic schools have always done well, but we’re educating in a different time period and a different world. And so we do have to step up to the challenge and keep an open mind for what these children need now. It might be different than what we’ve done in the past.

“Students need to understand what it’s like to have a relationship, a friendship, with Jesus.”
Not only is the school attracting more students, but also nine families have joined the parish since January.

“Now that we’re implementing the program, we’re actually having families come to us and say, ‘We want more for our children than what’s being offered by the world now, and we see what you’re offering to grow in our faith,’” Father Sizemore said. “You’re offering more for the parents and for the teachers to grow, and they’re saying, ‘We want to be a part of this culture.’

“We could keep doing the same old, same old. We have good teachers, we have good staff, we have a lot of good people sitting in our pews. But we weren’t made to be good. We were made to be great, and we’re creating a culture where people can become more happy, healthy and holy.”

“I am excited that St. Francis de Sales Catholic School has begun implementing the Catholic classical education model,” diocesan Superintendent of Schools Adam Dufault said. “Father David Sizemore, Mrs. Sally Mummey and Mr. Ed Watson form a visionary team that will be able to accomplish this goal, without a doubt. The Office of Catholic Schools will be ready to assist in every step along the way.”

For learn more about the school and its classical curriculum, visit www.stfrancisnewark.org or call (740) 345-4049.