Educating the Whole Child

Dear St. Peter’s Community,

It is with excitement and renewed hope that we share one of our newest initiatives to bolster the well-being and success of our students.

Last year we are created and launched a unique social-emotional learning program, (SEL) in the elementary school that will brings together our established character building Virtues in Practice program (VIP), the Be a Spartan Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and the Catholic faith tradition of educating the whole child in mind, body and spirit. This new program creates a common language throughout the school and allows students to thrive socially, emotionally, academically and in life.

Catholic education is intentionally directed to the growth of the whole child, mind, body and spirit (The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, p. 42). In keeping with this Catholic school tradition, St. Peter’s School has been committed to developing all facets and capabilities of our students. Similarly, the strategic plan launched in 2017 stresses the need for this holistic approach. To ensure this foundational premise of Catholic schools and to personalize each student’s learning experience, St. Peter’s will continue to embrace the Whole Child approach in the our Social Emotional Learning & Resilience program.

Each Child, Our Future

The Ohio Department of Education launched its strategic plan, Each Child, Our Future, in 2017, and holds at its center the education of the whole child.

This plan seeks to ensure that each child is “challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling post-high school path, and empowered to become resilient lifelong learners who contribute to society.” The strategic plan consists of “one goal, three core principles, four learning domains and 10 priority strategies that work together to support the whole child and enable the state-level vision and goal” (Each Child, Our Future).

Within those priority strategies, #7 highlights the need to “work together with parents, caregivers and community partners to help schools meet the needs of the whole child” (Whole Child Framework).

The Whole Child Framework

In a letter introducing the Whole Child Framework, Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction shares that “this strategy emerged from a deep recognition that, ‘Unless the whole child is considered and supported, the conditions for learning are less than optimal’” (Whole Child Framework).

“When students are healthy, feel safe, are supported

through strong systems and relationships, are challenged and experience success, and are engaged in learning that is relevant and meaningful, they are more likely to enjoy learning, develop positive social skills and achieve greater success” (ODE).

Educating the whole child means we approach teaching and learning with the understanding that the basic human needs of health, safety and support must be met first. From there we offer the right level of challenge for each student to experience success, and nurture each child’s intrinsic motivation to engage in their own learning and meaning-making.

Our unique social-emotional learning program (SEL) incorporates our spiritual Virtues In Practice (VIP), our Be a Spartan positive behavior program (PBIS), our long standing Catholic tradition of recognizing the importance of spirituality, and adds body and brain-based resilience practices for students to incorporate self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-management into their skillset. The ability to notice and name their needs and emotions allows each child to make wise and healthy choices about what they will think, say, and do while at school, at home and throughout the community.

Teaching our students ways to care for themselves and encouraging them to take care of each other will help bolster the positive, vibrant, and supportive culture of our school and community.