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Jun 18th, 2012

Catholic School System taps into voice of community

The Catholic Schools of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph have launched brand new ways to engage anyone with a pulse on Catholic school education.

“With the school parent demographic now largely comprised of Generations X and Y, our Catholic schools must meet these parents where they are,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Peters. “Understanding how to inform them of the opportunities for their children in Catholic schools is critical to our ability to educate the next generation,” he said. “That’s a conversation worth having.”

Not a school district or an association of private schools, Catholic schools are rooted in the teaching mission of the church. Exactly where and when the first Catholic school began in the United States is a mystery. Some say it was a French explorer teaching and preaching, other say it might have been a priest tutoring ships’ apprentices on the beach near an anchored 16th-century vessel.

What is known is that Catholic education goes back to at least 1606. In that year, the Franciscans opened a school near what is now St. Augustine, in Florida. Some 50 years later, documents confirm that Jesuits instructed Native Americans in New York.

Though chalkboards and inkwells have been edged out by i-Pads and smart boards, communication is a fact of life.

“The lifestyle of the 21st Century family is vastly different than in the past,” said Peters. “Adults increasingly not only turn to online sources for news and information but also take the time to comment and share personal experience,” he said.  “We want to be there and be a part of the conversation.”

“As an initial step, we want people to know who they are speaking to,” said Peters. “We will be Kansas City ~ St. Joseph Catholic School System,” he said. "Our initial steps include a Catholic School System blog, which in August will begin to feature voices from around the school community, and Facebook, and other social media platforms.