Columbus All Saints Academy started something new this year: implementing a house system for grades 5-8.
Principal Laura Miller said it has been an amazing experience to watch students grow and come together as a Christian community dedicated to making Christ-like decisions every day.
One of the best parts, she said, is the houses getting together once a week to forge friendships, set goals, make reflections and work on service projects in mentor groups. Each house is named after a saint and allows students to also learn about these amazing role models.
The system is based on four pillars: kindness, honesty, respect and service. The four pillars and how they relate to virtues are used in discussions and lessons.
The system has been transformational for our student body, Miller said, as students not only look to earn virtue points but also make good choices because it is the right thing to do.
Service is a big part of the system, and each house completes a number of service projects each year.
One of these projects involves the Bishop Griffin Resource Center located on campus. The Thomas More house had fifth and seventh graders work in the food pantry. They organized and sorted donations, cleaned shelves and had a tiring but great experience.
This was a successful and collaborative effort at the school and next year a junior house system is planned for younger students.