The family spirit at Archbishop Shaw is no accident. It is one of the most important signs of the Salesian charism being alive and well at our school. How do we cultivate that family spirit, particularly among increasing large eighth grade classes coming from a diverse background of middle schools; public and private, Eastbank and Westbank, urban Gretna and rural Lafitte.

Our school decided to implement a Shaw 101 class for all eighth graders, a semester class that aims to prepare students for their time here at Shaw not just through math, reading, and writing practice but through teaching students about all of the elements of our school that make us Archbishop Shaw. In Shaw 101 we learn Shaw history, develop school spirit, learn about the Salesians and St. Don Bosco, explore the purpose and roles in the House System, and work on becoming the best young men we can be at Archbishop Shaw.

Shaw 101 is a course that forces the eighth graders to work with one another and encounter the members of their class that did not come from the same school they did, are not in the same extracurriculars, and those that have other interests. It helps them move from an eighth grade class composed of students from twenty plus elementary schools to becoming one unified Shaw class, ready to make the most of their next four years at Shaw.