A Handbook of Virtues: A Virtue-Informed Approach to School Policies, Parent Partnership, and School Culture
Presenter: Dr. Matthew Gerlach, Headmaster, Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities
Audience: Catholic school educators and leaders in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis; CSL prospects; Catholic school parents
What is the purpose of your Catholic school’s parent-student handbook? What’s in it, and why? What use is it? Is it to lay down rules to be observed, or is it to articulate principles of excellence? In this lecture, Dr. Gerlach suggests that the form and contents of a handbook reveal the extent to which virtue formation is the true aim of a Catholic school. After presenting a holistic virtue formation framework covering the theological, cardinal, and intellectual virtues, Dr. Gerlach will give practical examples of how the virtues can materially and formally shift the function of a handbook in your school. An essential premise to his case is that the handing on of the virtues is the heart of Catholic education understood as formation. Overall, the talk offers a virtue-informed approach to developing school culture, strengthening partnership with parents, and guiding student conduct.
Schedule
- Lecture and Q&A: 7 PM – 8:30 PM
- Wine and charcuterie social: 8:30 PM – 9ish PM
Register Here!
About Dr. Matthew Gerlach
Dr. Gerlach’s life is dedicated to the renewal and integration of faith, reason and character in Catholic education through teaching, research and service in executive educational leadership. Since 2001, he has taught and served in leadership positions in a Catholic parish, high school, university and seminary settings. Inspired by such thinkers as Josef Pieper, St. John Henry Newman, St. John Paul II, G.K. Chesterton and St. Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Gerlach’s constant aim is the cultivation of the Catholic identity, mission and culture of Catholic educational institutions through the integration of faith with human culture and everyday life. His personal mission is to promote the integral formation of disciples of Jesus Christ in their intellectual, theological and cardinal virtues as they seek to answer Christ’s call to holiness and apostolic mission within the Church and secular society. Dr. Gerlach currently serves as Headmaster of the original Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, Minnesota. Chesterton Academy of the Twin Cities is a “joyfully Catholic, classical high school” whose mission is to help parents raise up a new generation of joyful leaders and saints.
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