House of Belonging by Archbishop Moeller High School

House of Belonging Three Marianist high schools adopt a “House System” as a way to enhance their family spirit and help students create meaningful connections. B

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PAT R I C K B L A N K S

set foot in freshman orientation four years ago, he noticed something a bit unexpected: All the seniors he met were trying hard to make him feel welcome. “That’s not what my older brothers told me would happen,” says Blanks, who graduated this spring from Archbishop Moeller High School, a Marianist school in Cincinnati. “They had a different experience when they were freshmen at Moeller, so I thought

Patrick Blanks, center, with last year’s student vice captains, Brian Vonderhaar, left, and Sam Kornau at Archbishop Moeller High School

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C H R O E D E R

I was going to be bullied on the first day. I thought the seniors would try to run the school, but that didn’t happen. It was a very family-oriented atmosphere.” What accounts for the difference? Simply put, the House System — a way of organizing and subdividing a school’s students so that they build relationships not just horizontally (with the rest of the students in their grade), but also vertically, with the students from each grade level who belong to their “House” and the teachers who guide them. It’s not a new

Members of Archbishop Moeller's Eveslage House show off their trophy after winning the Marianist Cup competition.

seniors singing and participating, you’re more likely to do the same.” The House System has been in place at Chaminade-Madonna for just two years, but already the school’s principal, Gloria Ramos, has seen evidence of its power for building relationships. Recently, she learned about an incident where a senior saw one of her housemates walking home in the rain during the first week of school. “She stopped and offered the girl a ride,” Ramos says. “As insignificant as that seems, it never would have happened before. If we didn’t have the House System, those two students probably would not have known each other.”

HOW THE HOUSE SYSTEM WORKS

Marianist Father Ralph Siefert with two former senior house leaders, Jack Meara and McKinley Stephens, and Philip Rone, associate principal of student development at ChaminadeSt. Louis

approach: Prep schools in Europe, Australia and other parts of the world have employed the House System as an organizing principle for decades. But it is relatively new to Marianist high schools in the United States. Along with Moeller, Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis and Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Hollywood, Fla., have implemented a House System in recent years — and all three have experienced a marked enrichment of the family spirit on their campuses. Jack Meara, a recent ChaminadeSt. Louis grad, has grown to appreciate the impact the House System has on students and their sense of belonging. It wasn’t until the first all-school Mass, however, that he began to realize what it was about. “We sat by House at that Mass, not by grade, and it definitely made a difference. When you’re sitting not just with your classmates, you tend to watch the older kids. If you see the

While there are some variations, the House System works the same at all three Marianist schools: Upon enrollment, students are randomly assigned to one of several Houses — and it becomes their affinity group for the “The House System remainder of their time at the school. The House creates a culture where includes students from ‘everybody knows your other grade levels — about 150 to 200 students name.’ It is a wonderful in all. atmosphere in which to The Houses are further promote faith and pass divided into mentor groups — comparable to along Marianist values, traditional homerooms, especially a sense of except that the mentor family spirit.” groups include a mixture of students from each grade level at the school. — Marianist Brother Stephen Glodek Faculty members (House deans and mentor teachers) are permanently assigned to direct and oversee each of these subdivisions — adding another element of vertical stability to the system. The result, says Blane Collison, principal at Archbishop Moeller, is a more effective approach to pastoral care. “Our pastoral approach was strong here already,” he says, “but the House System strengthened it more than we anticipated. The House model enables our faculty to keep track of students and stay on top of their academic progress. It gives us a line of intervention if a student is struggling. www.marianist.com/supportus • 7

It also gives students another chance to be recognized, within each House, if they’re doing well.”

IDEA EXCHANGE The House System was adopted after a handful of Chaminade and Moeller students brought the idea to the attention of the administrators at their schools. “About seven years ago, a couple of our students came back from their experience in the exchange program we have with a Catholic boys’ school in Brisbane, Australia,” says Marianist Brother Ron Luksic, dean of student life at Moeller. “They talked about the House System

Danny Schrader, Megan Triscari, Katherine Silva and Melissa Yurubi, students at ChaminadeMadonna College Preparatory, participate in a training course to prepare them for House senior leadership roles.

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there and how it would fit well with Moeller — especially how it would bolster the Marianist value of educating in the family spirit.” A similar sequence of events had occurred a couple of years earlier at Chaminade-St. Louis, according to Marianist Father Ralph Siefert, president. Administrators had heard about the House System from returning exchange students. “We were intrigued with the idea so we sent teachers and administrators to Australia to observe it. They thought the system made sense for us, given our Marianist philosophy of education.” The advantages are many, Father Ralph observes: “Consistency is the key.

With the same deans and mentor teachers working with the same House year-to-year, the faculty gets to know each student better, and that can make a big difference in a student’s sense of well-being.” Marianist Provincial Stephen Glodek, who served at a former Marianist high school (St. Agnes Cathedral High School) in New York that used the House System, says that the difference has to do with a sense of belonging. “The House System creates a culture where ‘everybody knows your name,’ as the theme song from the 1980s hit comedy Cheers would say. “It also promotes mentoring, responsibility and accountability between younger and older students who develop strong bonds with one another. It is a wonderful atmosphere in which to promote faith and pass along Marianist values, especially a sense of family spirit,” says Glodek. Another plus for the House System is the number of student leadership opportunities. “Most traditional student governments engage a limited number, but here, every senior becomes a student leader,” says Father Ralph. But even great ideas aren’t always easy to implement, the administrators have learned. “One of the Marianist characteristics is educating for adaptation and change, but frankly the infancy was pretty rough,” says Moeller’s Collison. “Among the first group of seniors, you’d find some who weren’t crazy about the idea, because they lost a bit of their class identity.” Faculty members were concerned initially, too, he says, because the time spent on House and mentor group activities tended to lack an academic component. Collison credits Ed Jamieson, the school’s House director, with developing a refined approach to House activities that won over the skeptics. Instead of focusing exclusively on spirit-related activities, “We started to look at how we could teach leadership,” Collison says. “That gave the mentor teachers something they could sink their teeth into — some-

What’s in a Name?

House History

Marianist traditions live on in House names and crests.

he House System came to Marianist schools he House System plays a small but important role in highlighting the in the United States by way of Australia — history and charism of the Marianist order. The names chosen for the one of the fruits of the student exchange programs Houses honor individuals or places that are prominent in either the school’s offered at Chaminade College Preparatory School heritage or that of the order, serving as constant reminders of the connecin St. Louis and Archbishop Moeller High School tion to Marianist traditions. in Cincinnati. But the roots of this school design At Chaminade-St. Louis, for example, there are Houses named for Marianist concept reach back to Europe. The first Marianist Brother C. Vincent Gray, the first African American Marianist in the former school to incorporate a House System was Matero St. Louis Province who taught at several Marianist schools; Marianist Father Boys’ School in Lusaka, Zambia, a high school Francis Xavier Mauclerc, the first that was established in 1966 based on the Marianist to be ordained in the European model. United States; and Marianist Brother John O’Donnell, a working brother who served 43 years at Chaminade. At Archbishop Moeller, one House is named for Our Lady of the Pillar, the Spanish shrine where Blessed William Joseph Chaminade conceived the idea of founding the Society of Mary. Another is called Zaragoza, the city in Spain where the shrine is located. A third honors Marianist Brother Miguel Angel Quiroga, a brother who was martyred by a paramilitary band in Colombia, South America, in 1998. Chaminade-Madonna, a co-ed high school formed by the 1988 merger of Chaminade High School and Madonna Academy, has Houses named for members of the two religious communities that served the legacy schools — the Marianists and the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The Marianist Houses honor Marianist Brother John Campbell, a longtime teacher, coach and administrator; Marianist Father Dan Doyle, who taught and served as president of the school; and Marianist Brother Charles Roggemann, who taught English there from 1972 until his retirement in 1995. House crests, designed by students, incorporate symbols that are used to teach Students Jim Hofman, Tony Loyet and Alec Bloom new students each year about Marianist values, traditions and the particular gifts of from Chaminade-St. Louis share a moment of fun the individuals for whom the Houses are named. with Phil Rone.

Chaminade College Preparatory St. Louis Gray House Lamourous House Mauclerc House Meyer House O'Donnell House

Archbishop Moeller High School Cincinnati Eveslage House Pillar House Quiroga House Trinity House Zaragoza House Zehler House

thing that would make a lasting difference in the students’ lives.” It also helps to complete a full cycle of students through the system, school officials say. At Chaminade-St. Louis, where House divisions have been in place since 2003, current students know no other way. “We’re finding that it becomes automatic,” says Philip Rone, associate principal of student development. “Students go straight to their House deans with concerns, and they know the deans will help them.”

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory Hollywood, Fla. Campbell House Danielle House Doyle House Grace House Roggemann House

THE HOUSE SPIRIT GROWS As students and faculty grow more comfortable with the concept, they are finding ways to use House activities more effectively. “Early on, the deans set the schedule and made decisions about what events we’d have in the annual House competition, but now it’s more student driven,” Rone says. All three schools conduct House competitions throughout the academic year, with points awarded for the students’ achievements in a variety of areas — www.marianist.com/supportus • 9

Archbishop Moeller students enjoy friendly competition and House rivalry at the Crusader Games.

best grade point average, fewest detentions, most participation in service activities and so on. A trophy goes to the House that accumulates the most points overall. But the primary focus of the competition is to cultivate a strong sense of House spirit. House competitions are a big deal at Moeller, says Patrick Blanks — and the Crusader Games are the biggest “braggin’ rights” event of all. Each spring, the games pit the Houses against each other in contests such as tug-of-war and water balloon tosses. Though his House didn’t win, “It was great to see how all the kids in the stands had such pride for their House while they were watching. They wanted to win. It wasn’t just a field day. It was about cheering for our House.” Gloria Ramos noticed a similar 10 • Call 1.800.348.4732

dynamic during homecoming week last year at Chaminade-Madonna. “One of the highlights is an evening of skits called ‘Lion’s Roar,’” she says. “Traditionally, the skits have been performed by class — the seniors would do theirs, the juniors would do theirs and so on. As you might imagine, the senior skit was typically about a 100 times better than the freshman skit, mostly because the seniors had a lot more experience. “This year the skits were performed by Houses — so the seniors, the freshmen and the other classes were all working together — and it showed,” Ramos says. The skits were better and more importantly, “we saw freshmen step forward as integral parts of the evening. They worked alongside the seniors and created an incredible atmosphere in the gym. That’s

when we knew the House System was moving us in the right direction. It’s definitely worth the time and energy we’re putting into it.” That sense of spirit also spills over into extracurricular activities, says Collison, Moeller’s principal. “Typically, at a varsity golf match, it’s just parents on hand to watch their sons play. But last year, we had 50 kids show up at an important match — and part of the incentive for that was the points they could earn for their House in the Cup competition,” he

at Chaminade. “Parents love the House System,” he says. “They like to hear their sons come home and talk about the upperclassmen. They appreciate it when their sons do service projects together as a House, or when we have an all-school Mass, and the Houses are all sitting together. They can see that it brings a sense of community to the school, and a connection throughout all the divisions.” Not surprisingly, those benefits are also turning into selling points when it comes to recruiting incoming classes. “I do Chaminade-St. Louis students work together on a House teambuilding exercise.

says. “It’s a good way to increase participation in all kinds of activities.”

PARENTAL SUPPORT Parents have embraced the House concept, as well, notes Brother Ron at Moeller. “For our big annual dinner auction — The Main Event — the parents have started to do a lot of their gift-gathering by House,” he says. In addition, there’s a meet-and-greet event at the beginning of each school year that gives the parents of incoming freshmen a chance to meet the parents of other students in their son’s House. “It’s developed into an overall program for building stronger relationships,” says Brother Ron. Philip Rone has seen a similar impact

admissions work here, and I know that the House System is attractive for parents and students,” says Brother Ron. “They know they’ll feel part of something when they come here. They’ll be recognized.” And that can make a big difference right from the start, says Patrick Blanks, the Moeller senior. “At a lot of high schools, kids have confidence problems when they come in,” he says. “You don’t see that as much at Moeller. The freshmen are confident. You can see the way they carry themselves in the halls. They know they have the power to take on whatever they want to accomplish.” ■ John Schroeder is a freelance writer from St. Louis. www.marianist.com/supportus • 11