Servite Formation Process What is the Servite Formation Program? The Servite Formation Program is the intentional, systematic direction of the complete student experience toward the end of developing the whole person, body and soul, and facilitating each student’s address of the question, “Who are you?” Servite Formation The primary mission of Servite High School is the forming of faith-filled leaders. The formation process is the intentional, systematic direction of the complete student experience toward the end of developing the whole person, body and soul. The intent of the program is to monitor every component of a student’s experience, both inside and outside of the classroom ─ and ensure that each component, in its’ own unique way, is directed toward the development of the whole student. Who is responsible for the formation of each student? It is important to note that within the context of the Formation Program, “teaching” is not limited to the classroom experience. All members of the faculty and staff play an active role as a teacher, or guide, in the formation of every student with whom they work. The importance of each member’s active participation cannot be over-stated. As the Sacred Congregating for Catholic Education reminds us in The Catholic School on the Verge of the Third Millennium: “Teaching has an extraordinary moral depth and is one of man's most excellent and creative activities, for the teacher does not write on inanimate material, but on the very spirits of human beings. The personal relations between the teacher and the students, therefore, assume an enormous importance and are not limited simply to giving and taking. Moreover, we must remember that teachers and educators fulfill a specific Christian vocation and share an equally specific participation in the mission of the Church, to the extent that ‘it depends chiefly on them whether the Catholic school achieves its purpose.’” Thus every component of the student experience must be seen as playing a unique and vital role in the formation of each student, for the whole student is not limited to any one component but is rather formed and affected by every activity and relationship that comprises their unique student experience. What are the Formation Themes? While each component of the student experience should contribute to the development of the whole student in a unique way, a set of unifying ideas that guide that development regardless of context is necessary in order to create “an organic set of elements.” Furthermore, a student’s experience will be far more valuable if they are given a single lens through which they are able to view any situation, endeavor, or challenge that life presents. With that in mind, the following Formation Themes are intended to guide the formation of the Servite student in any context, both inside and outside of the classroom: - Primacy of faith - Life’s greatest and most important truths cannot be discovered by reason alone. We must accept that mystery exists and that life is a series of acts of faith, large and small. The most elemental act of faith is the belief that we possess a fundamental uniqueness that makes us who we are – unlike anyone else, past, present, or future.
- Mastery of self - The gifts that make us who we are reveal the unique vocation we have been given by God. By mastering ourselves and developing our gifts, we will make the world a better place in a way that no one else ever can. This is the fundamental responsibility that gives meaning and purpose to our lives.
- Necessity of the other - An honest assessment of who we are reveals that we have limits and need others. Properly developing ourselves requires that we properly develop all the relationships that make us who we are.
- Centrality of Christ - There is one “other” we can never do without. God made us who we are and Christ brought us direct contact with God. Therefore, everything we do should be under Christ’s direction and modeled after him. We should note especially that Christ’s fundamental teaching is love as defined by mercy. This should be the measure of all our relationships.
It may be helpful to note that the Formation Themes are not hierarchical or even chronological. In an organic, experiential way, an individual moves through them as they are ordered above, but this movement is rarely conscious and daily life requires application of each theme in unique ways and in an infinite variety of circumstances. Who is responsible for applying the formation Themes? All Servite faculty and staff are responsible for applying the Formation Themes through the medium within which they interact with students. - Faculty members via the classroom experience.
- Counselors via their guidance and direction.
- Coaches via their respective sports.
- Co-curricular directors and moderators via student programs and activities.
- Campus ministers via spiritual guidance and development.
- Staff members via their modeling and respective interaction with students.
Combined with the inherent formative value of their respective medium (classroom learning, athletic competition, etc.), it is through their application – but most especially modeling – of the Formation Themes within their unique contexts that all members of the faculty and staff are most fully participants in the Formation Program. How does formation relate to other areas of the student’s life? By definition, every component of the student experience is an essential part of the Formation Program. The Formation Process is not a separate program that the academic departments, clubs and teams work with, rather it is the unifying vision that all departments, offices and programs share, as together they strive to contribute to the formation of each student. Conclusion The single most important element in the success of the Formation Program is a comprehensive campus climate that exposes each student to the person of Christ, drawing them to be Christ to others and see Christ in others.
Priory Leadership Program What is the Servite Priory Leadership Program? The Servite Priory Leadership Program is a comprehensive, hands-on leadership experience intended to give students the opportunity to learn and practice leadership through peer accountability and increased responsibility in all components of the student experience. What are the purposes of the Priory Leadership Program? The fundamental weakness of most student leadership development programs is their lack of opportunity for real leadership experience. Real leadership only exists when there is a significant level of tangible responsibility and direct accountability for other people. With that in mind, there are four fundamental purposes of the Priory Leadership Program: - increased responsibility
- peer accountability
- critical understanding of leadership theory
- hands-on leadership experience
By giving students significant responsibility in the operation of the school and direct accountability for their peers, students will gain the real experience that is required to successfully develop as the kind of leaders prepared to make a difference in their schools, business, families, communities, and beyond. How does the Priory Leadership Program work? There are two primary components of the Priory Leadership Program. First, the entire student body is divided into eight Priories (a Servite word for a community) of 110-120 students each, freshmen through seniors. Each Priory is named after one of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order with the addition of “Philip,” one of the primary saints of the Servite Order: - Alexis
- Amideus
- Bonajuncta (pronounced “bōnăyūnctă”)
- Bonfilius
- Hugh
- Manettus
- Philip
- Sostene (pronounced “sŏstĭnay”)
Each Priory is led by a senior Prior and six senior or junior Assistant Priors. The Prior and his Assistant Priors are expected not only to lead their Priory through a variety of activities and competitions with the other Priories, but also to uphold and enforce standards regarding moral discipline, academic performance, and leadership. Each Priory is further divided into six Homerooms of approximately 18 students each, freshmen through seniors. Each Homeroom is led by one of the Priory’s six Assistant Priors. Under the direction of the Prior, the Assistant Priors not only plan but implement their Priory’s goals and objectives within their Homerooms. While the work of the Priors and Assistant Priors is continuous, the primary means of implementation of Priory activities is through the Priory Period which occurs twice a week. Each Priory Period is 43 minutes in length and, while faculty Proctors are present within each Homeroom for the purpose of guidance and supervision, the plan and its implementation for each period is left entirely in the hands of the Prior and his Assistant Priors. The second primary component of the Priory Leadership Program is the Priory Committees. Each Priory selects representatives to serve as Committee Members on each of six Priory Committees: - Academics Committee
- Activities Committee
- Athletics Committee
- Campus Ministry Committee
- Communications Committee
- Spirit Committee
While the Priors and Assistant Priors focus on programs and activities for their individual Priories, the Priory Committees are charged with the planning and implementation of school-wide programs and activities within their respective areas of focus. These may include inter-Priory competitions or activities (i.e. an inter-Priory Trivia Bowl) or school-wide programs that do not explicitly involve the Priories as such (i.e. Homecoming). Each Committee selects a Committee Chairman who is charged with the primary management and oversight of each Committee. The management of the entire Priory System is overseen by the Prior General and the other members of the Generalate – the Vicar General, Secretary General, and Treasurer General. To this end, the Generalate, in consultation with the Principal and Priory Director, determines the directives for the Priories and Priory Committees each year. Furthermore, the Generalate is seen by the Administration as the primary representatives of the student body and, as such, is often consulted on a variety of school matters large and small.
How is the Priory Leadership Program different from the traditional ASB model of student leadership? The traditional ASB model is typically activity-based, wherein student leaders execute tasks related to the implementation of campus programs that are in large part pre-packaged (insofar as most are annual events – school dances, pep rallies, fundraisers, etc.). Beyond a set list of activities, student leaders have limited responsibility for campus life and, similarly, have very little accountability for the behavior of their peers. The Servite Priory Leadership Program gives student leaders much greater responsibility for the operation of the school and makes all students accountable to each other for their performance in all areas of campus life.
By the end of the freshman year, our freshmen will have: - Been explicitly and virtually, exposed to the philosophy, psychology, traditions, and mission of Servite High School and been drilled in living and executing their responsibilities according to these principles.
- Come to know, appreciate, live, and grow according to the life and commands of Christ, as seen through the prism of the Servite Order and its high school.
- Developed a healthy knowledge and appreciation for self, taking stock of personal weakness and strengths and how to faithfully address both, all the while trying to ascertain their vocation from God.
- Begun to perfect the intellectual life according to the Servite presentation, via a demanding, fundamental curriculum and successfully assimilate the body of knowledge.
- Learned to more exactly discipline the will towards the good, being guided by the light of faith and reason.
- Recognized their personal limits and therefore the limits of their neighbors, and consequently see the need for and benefit of enhancing their person and those around them through teamwork.
- Engaged in developing and participating in multiple endeavors wherein they recognize the value of teamwork.
- Laid the appropriate foundation for the rigor and demands of the subsequent years by completing the aforementioned in a timely, efficacious manner, and as directed.
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